Cold Silence
by SGAFan
Summary: It's a brisk sunny day in the snow. What could possibly happen? *Warning:* There be Shep Whump here! Rated K for now.
1. Chapter 1

_**Cold Silence**_

_The silence of the night_

_is the winters delight_

_snow that muffles the sounds_

_are billions of snow flakes_

_compacting down._

_~Ron Schmidt- Cold Silence, verse 1_

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"Just to reiterate…" Rodney's voice was slightly breathless but he still managed to convey his level of annoyance through his tone. "We're walking through **knee deep** snow!"

John exhaled hard, the fog from his breath momentarily swirling around his face and clouding his sunglasses. Without hesitating, he continued trudging forward. "Yes, Rodney, we noticed. Thanks."

"Fine." Rodney snapped back. "Then one question begs to be asked: WHY?"

"The Teldarans have supplied us with valuable intelligence in the past," Teyla smoothly interjected, "when they asked that we come to see them, they must have a good reason."

"And that reason isn't waiting for the spring thaw," John added, allowing a slight tone of annoyance creep into his voice.

"Should've brought a Jumper," Rodney muttered.

"In case you forgot," John replied, as he pushed through a particularly thick drift of snow, "the screwed up magnetic fields on this planet nearly crashed the Jumper last time."

"Please!" Rodney retorted. "It's simple, planetary, magnetic fields. I can compensate for that in my sleep!"

"Then why didn't you fix it then?" Ronon broke the self imposed shroud of silence he seemed to carry with him more often than not.

John heard Rodney stop abruptly. He looked back in time to see the scientist turn towards Ronon.

"I didn't have time! Colonel Flyboy over there couldn't keep the damned thing flying straight, not to mention smoothly, so I could take readings."

"Well excuse me for trying to get us back to Atlantis in one piece, instead of one million," John retorted.

"Then…"

"I'm not risking that again," John pointed at Rodney, "not when the village is an easy hour hike from the gate."

"Which brings me back to my original statement!" Rodney snapped. "We're walking through **knee deep** snow. Since when does that qualify as an 'easy hike?'"

John silently conceded that small point to Rodney as he tuned out the burn in his calves and kept walking. Whatever the Teldarans had, better be good. "Look on the bright side, McKay. At least we have cold weather gear."

"Right," Rodney's voice was thin with irritation. "Boots with fifty pound soles and thick gloves I can't even move my fingers in."

John glanced over his shoulder as Rodney threw back his parka hood and pulled his hat off. "I swear this thing is made of wool." He scratched his head. "How many times do I have to tell people that I'm allergic to wool? He scratched again for good measure before shoving the hat down on his head.

"The boots aren't fifty pounds, McKay," John rolled his eyes and kept going. "Besides, you need the tread so you don't fall on your ass. The last thing I need is to carry your injured butt back to the gate."

"At least I wouldn't be wading through the snow," Rodney shot back.

"Sheppard."

The retort John had ready died on his lips at Ronon's quiet but insistent hail. He'd known his friend long enough to know that when Ronon used that tone, something was up. His grip on his P-90 tightened as he stopped and looked back. "What is it?"

Ronon drew in a deep breath through his nose and let it out slowly as he looked around. His hand fell to his holstered gun at his side, but he didn't draw. He sniffled once and absently brushed his other hand over his nose before slowly turning in a circle.

John glanced at Teyla who shrugged.

"I sense nothing."

"Wanna let us in on what's up, Big Guy?" John insisted quietly.

Completing his circle, Ronon met John's gaze and shook his head slightly. "Thought for a moment…"

"What?" Rodney interjected.

"Thought something was watching us," Ronon answered.

"Something?" Rodney cocked his head, "something as in a villager who's tagging along to keep us company or something as in a bloodthirsty predator that's intent on making us into a hot lunch?"

Ronon shrugged. "Something."

"Great, thanks so much for that." Rodney muttered annoyingly.

John's gaze lingered on Ronon for a moment. His brows furrowed. "You sure it's okay?"

Ronon cocked his head slightly. "No."

John grimaced. "Great."

"I vote we head back for the gate," Rodney spoke first but John didn't answer as he continued to mentally weigh their options.

"We are closer to the village than to the gate," Teyla reasoned. "If it is indeed a wild predator, we are safer continuing on, than turning back." She pointed to the thinning tree line ahead of them. "If I remember correctly, at the end of these trees is a large ice field and beyond that, great rocks, more trees and the village. It is not far."

John nodded thoughtfully. They'd only seen this route to the village once, and that had been from a Jumper. But, leave it to Teyla to memorize the terrain. He took a deep breath and raised his P-90. "Village it is. Ronon keep an eye on the six. McKay watch the Life Signs Detector for anything moving out there that isn't us."

"Hello?" Rodney pulled out the detector and waved it. "Ancient tech? Suffers from the same problems as the Jumper."

"You said you could compensate for the interference in your sleep," John countered, "so, start compensating."

"While I'm wading through knee deep snow?"

"Multitask, Rodney." John's answer was short. "I'm on point. Let's go." John started off through the thin trees again. He debated taking off his sunglasses for at least the tenth time since they'd entered the woods. Thin enough to let sunlight through, the slivers of glare off the snow constantly had him squinting. He decided to leave them in place as he reached the tree line and stopped, his gaze travelling over an impressive expanse of clear snow.

Rodney walked up next to John. "Probably a glacial field. Left over from this planet's last ice age… which could be now," he added sarcastically.

John nodded absently. Even through his sunglasses, he squinted slightly at the intense glare from the sunlight off the snow. In the distance, across the field, he could see large rocks, supporting McKay's theory that the land had been scoured clear by a retreating glacier that had left the giant rocks where they sat.

Suddenly, the sound of Ronon's gun powering up instantly grabbed John's attention. He turned, instinctively bringing his P-90 to bear. "What," he hissed quietly, but the echo of snarls and low growls answered his question for him. Abruptly, memories flooded over him. Snarls, growls, the stink of carrion breath, pain… "Can't be," he whispered.

"Malneks."

Ronon's words confirmed John's thoughts, but he wished they hadn't.

"Not again!" Rodney whispered emphatically. "Once was enough, thank you!"

John was inclined to agree. The memories of their capture and the gladiatorial combat they were forced to endure at the hands of the Wraith, were still too fresh in his mind. Fighting the Malneks, which he roughly equated to wolves on steroids, had nearly cost him and his team their lives. Abruptly, a loud howl echoed through the trees.

"They're tracking us," Ronon observed with cold clarity. "They're on our scent. No way we're going to lose them in this."

"The village is not far," Teyla insisted. "We must try to reach it before we are surrounded."

"Works for me." John twisted to his right, gun coming to bear as another yapping snarl grabbed his attention. "That was a lot closer." He looked at Ronon. "Take the point, I'm on the six. Move!" he hissed emphatically. John pushed Rodney ahead of him as they left the trees and set out over the glacial field. Roughly a hundred yards in the distance, the rocks and another tree line almost beckoned to him. If they could just get to the trees or even the rocks, they could mount some sort of defense; ambush the Malneks, kill them or at least drive them off.

John pushed his fatigued legs harder as he half ran through the deep snow. Ahead of him, his team wasn't doing much better. Ronon seemed to have the least difficulties but Teyla, being shorter, was clearly struggling, as was McKay who was never in that good of shape to start with.

John twisted and looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening as a pack of Malneks emerged from the trees and leapt through the snow after them. Whether it was their lighter weight – although they looked to weigh nearly as much as a small person – or just the simple fact that they were more accustomed to the snow, he didn't know. What he did know is that a dozen or so of the beasts were rapidly eating up the distance between them and his team. "Move it!" John shouted and pushed on Rodney's back once more, before he stopped, turned and faced the approaching pack.

"Sheppard!"

John risked a glance back at Ronon who'd stopped and drawn his gun. "Go! Get to the rocks! You can cover me from there!" He stared at Ronon a moment longer, before the big Satedan resumed his course towards the rocks, Teyla and Rodney right behind him.

John refocused his attention on the approaching Malneks, who'd slowed their pace and seemed to be measuring him up. He lowered the angle of his P-90 and sent three shots into the snow in front of the lead animal, but the Malneks weren't deterred. They fanned out, but still advanced.

John's gaze narrowed as he switched back to full automatic. Bracing his feet, he fired on the lead Malnek. His shots echoed around them as he dropped the animal in its tracks. Backpedaling, John tried to follow his team but if moving forwards through the snow was tough, then backwards was nearly impossible.

Another Malnek leapt past the dead one and snarled as it bound through the snow after him. John glanced right then left as the other Malneks followed its lead. He fired again, dropping another one, before turning and making a run for it. Ahead of him, his team was nearly to the rocks and could provide him cover if he could just stay ahead of the pack for a few more seconds…

"JOHN!"

Teyla's urgent hail grabbed his attention and he looked up. It was at that moment when he heard a loud rumble in the distance, but growing in intensity.

From her perch on a large boulder, Teyla was frantically pointing up the mountainside and his gaze followed her gesture uphill. At first, his mind couldn't process what he was seeing, but that only lasted a second. The cloud of snow moving at him, with a roar to rival a freight train, could only mean one thing.

Avalanche.

"Holy…" Putting his head down, John charged through the snow, the sound of Ronon's gun picking off the following Malneks, the only thing reassuring him.

"Hurry!"

Rodney's voice was edged with panic, but still it encouraged him to move faster. He more than heard the roar of the avalanche, he could feel it reverberate through his chest and that only fueled his urgency. From his peripheral vision, he could see balls of packed snow tumble by him; the leading edge of something much more serious but his vision was tunnel like as he focused on one thing; the rocks. Ahead and not far, they were inviting, almost beckoning him to find shelter in their shadows. "Get down!" he ordered his team, his breathless voice still holding a note of command. Not one of them moved for cover, but he lacked the strength to insist. Every scrap of energy he had was routed to his legs to keep moving, his lungs to keep breathing and his body to keep pushing forward at all costs. But, as the snow got ever deeper, he realized he was losing a battle with time.

Looking up the mountainside, he saw an enormous wall of snow racing towards him and in a moment of cold clarity, he knew he'd never outrun it. He threw his arms over his face, just as the pounding wall of white hit him.

One time, he'd been caught in a particularly bad wave surfing Trestles in California. The water hitting him felt like a giant moving wall and this was no different. Like the ocean, this wave of snow rendered him equally as powerless.

Washed down the mountain, John only had one thought.

_Hope they made it to cover._


	2. Chapter 2

"John!"

Rodney had no doubt he was equally or even more panicked than the fear he heard in Teyla's shout. Snow was piled everywhere around them and nowhere was there any sign of Sheppard. "Where is he?" Rodney scrambled up on top of one of the rocks and shielded his eyes as he looked around.

"Sheppard!" Ronon shouted.

"Oh God," Rodney whispered as his eyes passed over the deep and uneven snow. "He could be anywhere…"

"He was there," Teyla pointed straight ahead of her, "when I last saw him. That gives us a place to start." She nimbly jumped down off the rock and started wading through the snow.

"He's not there anymore!" Rodney insisted as he slid down off his rock. "The snow had to have carried him further down the hill."

"But only downhill," Teyla insisted as she struggled over the uneven remains of the slide. "He would not have been swept across the hill. It at least gives us a starting place."

Ronon made his way across the snow and stopped next to Teyla. "Sheppard!" he called again.

"That slide extends for at least a half mile!" Rodney staggered but regained his footing as he navigated the uneven snow field. "Do the words 'needle in a haystack' mean anything to you?"

"We must try to find him, Rodney," Teyla turned and fixed him with a stern look.

Rodney stared back, un-cowed. "Of course we do! But, flailing around in the snow on a whim won't help Sheppard! We need to go about this in an organized way!"

"How?" Ronon demanded.

Rodney waved his hand. "I don't know. Just… just give me a minute here."

"Sheppard may not have a minute!" Ronon's reply was as forceful as his body language.

Rodney glared at him. "Don't you think I know that? Just…" his eyes widened. "Life Signs Detector…" he whispered before yanking his gloves off and plunging his hand into the interior pocket of his TAC vest."Life signs…"

"I thought the interference rendered the Ancient technology inoperable?" Teyla questioned.

"Yes!" Rodney snapped as he pulled the LSD free. "But Sheppard made me start work on a way to compensate for that! I just might…" his voice trailed off as he punched several keys. Without looking up, he heard Ronon growl in frustration.

"Sheppard!" Ronon shouted again.

"Do you **want** to bring the rest of the mountain down on us?" Rodney fixed Ronon with an icy stare, "because if you do, then by all means, keep shouting!" Rodney punched keys, trying to refocus his mind. Sheppard's life was measured in minutes, maybe an hour if he was lucky enough to have a decent air pocket. If not…. Rodney tried not to think about the 'if not' but it was a challenge for his pessimistic mind.

"McKay!" Ronon snapped.

"Working on it!" Rodney didn't even look up. "I'm going as fast as I can here!"

"Perhaps one of us should return to the gate and call for assistance," Teyla proposed as she looked around, her carefully controlled expression starting to show signs of worry.

"No!" This time Rodney did look up. He gave her an intent stare. "It'll take way too long to get to the gate, get help and get back! Sheppard doesn't have that kind of time, even under the best of circumstances. If he's got an air pocket, then it's still a race against hypothermia and slow hypoxia as he uses up his air! If he doesn't have an air pocket…" Rodney's voice trailed off as he glanced at his watch. He looked back up at Ronon and Teyla. "Then it's already too late." He took a deep breath. "Our best bet is to locate him quickly and dig!" Rodney's gaze fell once again to his LSD.

"Rodney, we have nothing to dig with," Teyla met his intense stare with one of her own. "One of us could go to the village for help."

"Without gear we'll need all three of us to dig!" Rodney insisted. "Once we find him, then we get help, but if we don't get him out of there fast, nothing else will matter." He could see the hesitation on Teyla's face and briefly wondered if it was for the idea of waiting for help… or leaving to find it.

"How can you be so sure?" Teyla questioned. "Surely there is some time…"

"No!" Rodney insisted. "Look, trust me on this. Canada has its fair share of snow, mountains and avalanches. I know what I'm talking about. He flipped the LSD in his hand and slid open the back panel. He glanced again at his watch. "We're already at ten minutes. If we find him within fifteen minutes, he has a ninety-three percent chance of surviving. At a half hour that drops to less than fifty percent and he has a less than twenty percent chance of survival by the time an hour goes by!" He took a second to wave his hand. "Don't ask me how I know that. Random trivia tends to stick in my head. Always has." Tinkering, he quickly re-routed several circuits satisfied that, from the silence, Teyla had accepted his answer.

"I don't care if I have to dig with my bare hands," Ronon's voice was frustrated but determined as he stomped across the snow, "just find him!"

"What the hell do you think I'm doing over here?" Rodney shot back. He snapped the back cover into place and quickly booted up the LSD. _Come on… come on!_ He hadn't been lying when he'd told them that the fix to compensate for the planet's magnetic fields should be easy… okay maybe he'd omitted the 'should'… but damn it, how hard could it be? In spite of the situation, he smiled triumphantly. "Got it!"

"Where is he?" Teyla immediately responded before looking around.

"He's…" Rodney's eyes widened. "Oh no…"

"What?" Ronon demanded. He jumped down of the snow. "Didn't you fix it?"

"Yes!" Rodney snapped, "just too well."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Ronon descended on Rodney.

Rodney stared at the six life sign signals on the LSD's display. "He's not the only thing alive under there."

"Malneks." Teyla answered quietly.

"The LSD can only show life signs, not distinguish Sheppard from the Malneks. I can't tell which one is him," Rodney bowed his head, "if any of them are him," he added quietly.

"One is him," Ronon answered immediately. "I say we start digging. If we run into fur, we shoot it and go to the next one."

"Do you realize how long it will take to dig down to any of these life signs?" Rodney answered. "Sheppard doesn't have the time for us to be wrong even once!"

"It's better than standing here doing nothing!" Ronon growled.

Rodney rubbed his brow and paced… as well as he could in the deep snow anyway. "There has to be some way…" his mind raced, skimming through ideas and discarding them at lightning speed. Something… anything that the detector can use to distinguish him from the Malneks… His eyes widened before he punched keys on the detector. "That's it!"

"What?" Teyla jumped down off the snow and hurried over to him. "Rodney, what?"

"Sub-q transmitter. We figured out how to rig the Jumper scanners to pick up on them, the adaptation for the LSD shouldn't be too different…." His voice trailed off as he focused his concentration on the hand held device. What he didn't mention was that it'd taken days to figure out how to program the Jumper sensors to pick up on the transmitters correctly. Silently, he hoped he was past that learning curve because Sheppard's life sure as hell wasn't measured in days.

--------------------------

The snow above him was spinning and it took a long minute before John realized that he wasn't actually moving, even if his vision was deceiving him. He closed his eyes for a moment, fighting an instinctive panic that surged through him as his muddled thoughts focused.

He was buried alive.

He stared up at his crossed arms, several inches from his face, and took a shallow breath. His panic subsided slightly as cold but breathable air flowed into his body. In his last moment of daylight, he'd thrown his arms across his face for protection. Somehow, through the ordeal, he'd managed to keep them there and that had been his salvation for they acted as a barrier, creating a small, life saving air pocket in a pack of snow that immobilized the rest of his body. He inhaled again, pushing his chest against the heavy snow to pull in as much air as he could but his breath was shallow at best against the crushing weight. The snow molded around his elbows immobilizing his arms. He relaxed his muscles and let his hands dangle, but his arms were firmly wedged into the snow above his face.

John forced himself to think rationally and to keep a level head. His team would find him…

… his team….

He closed his eyes and squished out any doubt he had with steeled resolve. They'd made it to the rocks, to cover. They had to be okay and they'd find him. He just needed to survive until then.

_That's your job, John._ He reminded himself. _Survive. Give your team the time to find you._

As his thoughts cleared more, he was struck with a weird sense of familiarity. It wasn't much unlike wiping out in a wave, and like a wave, disorientation could be deadly. He blinked and considered the snow right above his head. Was he really facing the surface, or did he just think he was? He moved his arm slightly and was rewarded with flecks of snow hitting his face. Leave it to gravity to be honest. He inhaled again and considered his situation as small bits of ice and snow melted on his skin, the water running down his chin and cheeks. He moved his arms again, squinting as pieces of snow and ice rained down on him. He was rewarded with a bit of movement, but he hesitated to push against the snow too much. Right now, he had a pocket of air to breathe in. If that collapsed….

John pushed the thought away as he tensed his legs and the trunk of his body. Abruptly a wave of searing pain surged through him and he struggled to stay calm. As his head cleared he knew, without a doubt, that his left leg was broken. Leaving it still, he tried to bend his right leg, but it was like being buried in wet sand; he couldn't move. He ceased his futile struggling and tried to relax his body. His breathing was coming faster and that alone alarmed him. He had no idea how much air he had, and wasn't all that anxious to expend it any faster than necessary. His teeth started chattering as the cold wetness of snow permeated even his winter clothes. Shifting his left hand slightly, he tried to reach for his radio headset. He had no idea if the signal could penetrate the snow, or even if it still worked, but it was worth a shot.

"Sheppard…" he managed, "read me…?"

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Teyla's hand unconsciously flew to her headset in response to the crackling static she heard. Looking up, she saw surprised expressions on both Rodney and Ronon's faces as well and she knew she wasn't imagining it.

"Shep… read…"

She quickly pressed the call button on her headset. "John?"

"Oh thank god!" Rodney exclaimed as he paused for a moment, before returning to his work.

"Tey…"

Even through the badly garbled transmission, Teyla could hear the weakness in John's voice. She took a deep breath. "Are you all right?"

"....leg…ken…"

Teyla shook her head in frustration. She turned her attention to Rodney. "Can we use his radio signal to find him?"

Rodney looked up. "Possibly, but the signal is weak at best. We stand a better chance of finding him by his transmitter." He bowed his head and returned to configuring the detector.

Teyla sighed. "John, are you still there?"

"… here…"

"Rodney is configuring the Life Signs Detector to locate you." She paused for a moment and strengthened her voice. "Be still. We will find you."

"…not go…where…"

"John?" Teyla questioned, "John?" She bowed her head at the silence. Through her travels, she'd heard of incidents like this; people buried in great waves of snow. She had never seen it before today though. Teyla inhaled, trying not to give in to hopelessness, for one thing that was consistent amongst all of the stories she'd heard; very few people ever survived.

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"Teyla…" John pressed his numb lips together, trying to get some feeling back. He knew his words were slurred, he could hear it, but his lips refused to cooperate. He took a shallow breath, his inhale hitching around his chattering teeth as he tried to stay awake and aware, but he knew he was fighting a losing battle. The air around him, while cold, was starting to feel… close. Like there were too many people in a room, even though he knew he was alone. Grimly he realized his tiny pocket of air was slowly but steadily being depleted… faster than he'd hoped. Life giving oxygen was being replaced with deadly carbon dioxide. Each warm breath he exhaled froze to his sleeves and the snow only inches from his face creating a deadly air tight ice cocoon. _Or a coffin…_ John shook off the thought, forcing himself to stay hopeful. His team was okay, they were looking for him and they knew he was alive.

"Alive," he muttered.

He shook his head at the irony. He'd survived Wraith, Replicators, Iratus bugs and just about anything else Pegasus wanted to throw at him. But a deadly avalanche had never made it to his list of 'Things That Will Probably Kill Me.' He'd been a skier off and on all his life, but he'd never been one of those guys that flew into the back country to ski virgin snow. John blinked hard, fighting an ever increasing drowsiness. Strangely enough, the violent chattering of his teeth helped him stay awake, but in the back of his mind he knew that wouldn't last much longer. One bad thing about being career military, not to mention a long history of being a med evac pilot, was that he knew far more about field medicine than, right now, he wanted to. The snow was sucking the heat from his body and the close air around him was turning toxic. His body was his own worst enemy. _Hypothermia and hypoxia…_ _there are worse ways to die…_

His mind drifted…

"_You have to fight, you know…" _

Rodney's voice had been as sympathetic as he'd ever heard it. That moment a year ago, he'd been comatose, fighting a retrovirus that ravaged his body, and yet somehow he'd heard the voices around him. Somehow, he had fought past the animal that was consuming him, to hear his friends and draw strength from them.

"_You're a fighter. So fight."_

If only at that moment he could've woken to tell Ronon that he **was** fighting…

"_Be strong, John."_

Teyla. Arguably one of the strongest people he'd ever meet.

John's eyelids drooped before he shook himself awake again. _None of that!_

"_You have to fight, you know…"_

"_You're a fighter. So fight!"_

"_Be strong, John."_

"_You're a fighter, so fight! _

"… _so fight!"_

"Fight…" he muttered. "Fight…"


	3. Chapter 3

_I forgot to say something when I posted the last chapter… MY BAD! But thank you so much for the lovely reviews. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating. I'm deeply flattered by the comments, encouragement and happiness I see from people really enjoying my work._

_Thank you! _

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"Colonel, please respond." Teyla listened for a tense moment. Her brow wrinkled deeply in concern. "John, please answer me."

"It's no use," Rodney interrupted, never looking up from his configurations. "Radio contact is spotty at best."

"Haven't you fixed that thing yet?" Ronon demanded as he kicked a chunk of ice out of his way.

"No!" Rodney shot back. "This is not an easy thing you know. It took us days to get the Jumper sensors properly calibrated."

"DAYS?" Ronon kicked another chunk of ice hard enough to disintegrate it, pieces flying over the snow field.

"I'm over the learning curve!" Rodney answered. "My point is, this can't be done with a snap of the fingers."

Teyla looked back and forth between the two of them. Part of her shared Ronon's frustration but another part of her saw the wisdom in Rodney's insistence that they go about the search methodically. Ironically, she mused, Rodney, for all his snappy emotions and tendency to panic was remaining surprisingly calm and rational. She inhaled deeply once again considering the demanding scientist who, she believed, was very much stronger than even he realized. At this moment, she felt Ronon walking the path of one extreme, while Rodney was walking the other. Between them, she stood; walking the middle road, breaching the gap between them.

"Rodney?" She questioned quietly.

He looked up, meeting her worried gaze with one of his own. He nodded slightly. "I'm trying," he said quietly, his gaze slightly pleading before he returned his attention to the detector. "I…" he inhaled sharply. "Got it!"

Teyla pushed her way through deep snow over to him. She stared at the detector, her gaze fixing on one, blinking life sign. "Is he…"

"Yes!" Rodney interrupted, "he's alive."

_He's still alive… thank the Ancestors…_

"That one's him?" Ronon pointed and questioned.

Rodney's expression turned annoyed. "I just said that! Unless someone tagged wild Malneks with sub-q transmitters, that's Sheppard."He looked up and pointed. "There!" Not waiting, he immediately headed the direction he'd been pointing, staggering slightly as he rushed through the uneven snow, his gaze spit between where he was going and the detector in his hands.

Teyla didn't hesitate to follow and from the sounds behind her, she knew Ronon had not either. "How deep is he?"

Rodney's voice was slightly out of breath. "At least four feet, probably more. It's hard for me to get an accurate depth."

Teyla's hand flew to her radio. "John? Can you hear me? We have located you. Hold on, we are coming." She didn't expect a response, nor did she get one, but whether or not he could hear her, even if he could not respond, she didn't know. She only hoped he heard her words.

Abruptly, Rodney stopped. He shoved his detector into his vest pocket, fell to his knees and threw aside a large chunk of ice. "He's right here!"

Ronon dropped to his knees opposite Rodney and pulled a long knife from his belt. He hesitated and looked up at the scientist. "You're sure he's four feet deep?"

Rodney glanced up. "Positive. At least that."

Ronon nodded once and plunged his knife into the packed snow, working it lose.

Teyla knelt next to him and pulled her own knife, as did Rodney. Loosening the hard pack, she dug.

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It'd been a long time since he'd been this cold. Even through a tour in Antarctica where he'd had his fair share of frosty missions, it was never like this. They'd been cold, but not killer cold. He could feel numbness spreading through is body. His breathing was shallow and his lungs burned; demanding more oxygen than each breath was able to supply. His thoughts drifted. He'd only ever been this cold once…

_"John! John Sheppard!"_

_John wanted nothing more than to answer, but the rain, the cold the injuries to his body, all of them worked against him. One side of his mouth twitched; the closest thing to a cynical smile he could muster. He'd survived dozens of missions in Somalia, North Korea and points in between only to die on leave… on a hike no less. One careless step had done him in faster than any small arms fire that had crisscrossed his chopper more than once. Leg broken, it was all he could do to drag himself to marginal cover. That'd kept him alive this long._

_Son of a bitch._

_"John Sheppard!" _

_The voices were close. They must've had some idea where he was, he'd told Nancy where he was going. She'd never cared to hike with him… but these days they did little together._

_John opened his mouth and tried to call out, but a garbled mumble was all he could manage. "Hre…"_

_He couldn't keep his eyes open but as a warm hand settled on his shoulder, he lost the urge to even care._

_"Stay awake. We've gotcha…"_

_"…gotcha…"_

"Got… me…" John whispered. His mouth open, his shallow breaths gained little air. His thoughts dimmed, facts scattering, his mind losing function. He wouldn't be awake when he suffocated and, as he clung to the last tatters of rational thought, John was grateful for that. Lurking on the edge of his vision blackness called, quietly encroaching, stalking the light and covering it in inky darkness. Silently, he succumbed.

------------------------

Teyla's arms burned. The snow was wet and heavy, refusing to yield. At this point, she would've traded just about anything for a shovel. Even through her gloves, she could feel the cold and sharpness of the ice and snow she furiously cast aside, but it did not matter, nothing did except getting to John as fast as they could. "John!" At her hail, all three searchers paused for a moment, but the silence that followed was foreboding. She looked up at Rodney, an unspoken question in her gaze.

Rodney whipped out his detector. "Life sign…" His gaze met hers and radiated panic. "Faint," Rodney whispered.

"Sheppard!" Ronon's hands locked onto a large chunk of ice and he threw it over his shoulder with a shout.

"John!" Teyla couldn't keep the break from her voice as she too dug furiously.

"I got something!" Rodney proclaimed.

Teyla's eyes widened as Rodney wiped snow from a black pant leg.

"Find his head!" Rodney demanded as they quickly brushed snow aside. "John!"

Teyla clung to her faint hope. The fact that he wasn't responding was an ominous sign she couldn't deny, but the blinking on Rodney's detector gave her hope. Maybe he was just unconscious…

The snow gave way to his arms. Limp and no longer supported, they fell heavily to his side and suddenly, the dark cloth gave way to light skin, pale and cold. Gently brushing the snow from his face, Teyla stared down at his closed eyes. She ripped off a glove and pressed her fingers into his neck. _Ancestors… please…_ She drew in a deep breath and nodded. "He is alive." She moved her hand to his nose and mouth, but the cold air the met her palm struck a frigid blow to her heart. "He is not breathing!"

"Oh no…" Rodney's voice was barely above a whisper as he furiously dug away the last of the snow and freed John's legs.

"Move!" Ronon demanded as he reached down and grabbed the top of John's TAC vest. With a grunt he dead lifted the colonel from the hole they'd dug.

Teyla immediately knelt next to him and tipped his head back, pinching off his nose. She took a brief moment to thank Carson for insisting that they all know basic first aid, before she forced a deep breath into John's lungs.

She repeated the process again and again. Teyla's attention focused down on John alone, filtering out everything else. How many times had he saved Atlantis? The galaxy? Her? Another breath had Teyla silently begging the Ancestors or whoever was listening to help her… to help him! Save him! She pressed her fingers into his fluttering pulse for a moment before resuming.

"Damn it, Sheppard! You're too annoyingly stubborn to give up like this!"

Strangely, Rodney's words penetrated her self-imposed isolation. She could hear the fear in his voice. The same fear she felt from the deep silence Ronon kept… the same fear that blackened her heart.

Another breath. _John! Please!_ Her plea was mental for she had not the strength or the ability to voice it. _John!_

When his movement came, it startled her. Her hand shifted to the back of his head as he coughed violently, his body wracked with shivers. "John? You are all right," she soothed as much for him as for herself. She could hear something that resembled a relieved sigh coming from Ronon. Rodney's words rang with the same relief.

"Oh, thank god."

"Tey…" John's words were cut off by a cough.

"Shh," Teyla soothed in a voice she used to quiet the children of her people; a voice she had never used on him before. "Be still, John." She panted slightly. "We have found you. It is all right now." She added as much reassurance to her expression as she could as she met gazes with a set of clouded hazel eyes. One side of his mouth turned up slightly, a shadow of a smile crossing his face, before it disappeared, driven from his expression by pain He tensed and groaned loudly.

"What is it?" Ronon demanded.

"He's hypothermic," Rodney immediately answered. "We have to get him warm, fast."

"M..or..e…" John's voice hitched awkwardly around his chattering teeth and intense shivering.

"John?" Teyla questioned, her voice still soft.

"L-eg…" he managed, "bro-ken…"

Teyla looked at Rodney, who nodded once before turning his attention to the colonel's legs. He ran his hands down John's right leg with no response, but when he did the same to the left, John tensed, and grunted sharply.

Rodney nodded. "Definitely broken."

Teyla pointed to where she'd left the emergency pack she'd been carrying. "The pack, Rodney." While they didn't take it on normal off world missions, it was standard procedure for cold weather missions and now, she was very glad to have it.

"Right." Rodney jumped up and quickly made his way back to the rocks.

Teyla looked down at John's half opened eyes, her worry increasing at the intense shaking in his body. "John? Try to relax. We will splint your leg, get you warm and get help." She looked up at Ronon. "Help me get him out of this wet coat." She let Ronon hold John as she shrugged out of her TAC vest and unzipped her parka. "I will sit behind him and share body heat. Once we have splinted his leg, we can lay an emergency blanket under him to get him off the wet snow."

"And you," Ronon unzipped John's TAC vest as Teyla steadied him. He threw the vest aside and carefully pulled John's jacket off as well. Ronon slowly leaned John back against Teyla.

Teyla pulled John as tightly to her as she could, his back crushed against her chest. She wrapped the edges of her coat as far around him as they'd reach. Her embrace strengthened as she was struck by how cold he felt. She held him tightly against his shivering.

"C-old…" John mumbled.

"John?" Teyla cocked her head and looked down at him. "John? You must stay awake."

"Think I should head to the gate," Ronon's voice was low.

Teyla looked over at him, but his gaze was fixed on John.

"There're probably more Malneks out there," Rodney interjected as he staggered back through the snow.

"N-no," John managed, "to dangr-s…"

"There is always the village," Teyla shifted her weight and settled John's head in her lap.

"They're primitive at best," Rodney's voice was colored with some of his usual annoyance. "As much as I hate to agree with Conan here, Sheppard needs advanced medical care." He opened the bag and tossed a compacted emergency blanket at Ronon.

Ronon glared at Rodney for a moment, before he shook open the blanket and covered John with it. Then, he abruptly stood. "I'm going for the gate."

It was all Teyla could do to hold on to John as an unexpected surge of strength had him pulling against her embrace.

"N-o…" John insisted, his voice weak.

"John," Teyla held tightly to him, "be still." She looked up as Ronon knelt next to her and put a strong hand on John's shoulder. The two men locked gazes.

"I'll be fine. I've dealt with Malneks before." Ronon squeezed John's shoulder. "Hang in there, buddy. I'll get you help."

John closed his eyes for a moment. "Ca-n't st-op yo-ou any-way…" His attempt at a smile was hollow. "Fir-rst be-er on m-e…"

Ronon smiled. "Deal." Without another word he jumped up.

"Wait!" Rodney's hail stopped Ronon in his tracks.

"What?" Ronon demanded.

Rodney picked up the Life Signs Detector and tossed it to Ronon. "Take this. "Zelenka can use it as a guide to modify the Jumpers and compensate for the planet's magnetic field."

Ronon shoved the detector into his coat, nodded once and sprinted off across the snow.

Teyla turned her head and watched him for a moment before she looked back at Rodney who was already opening the pack and removing medical supplies.

Teyla took a deep breath and calmed her mind, remembering the lessons Carson had drilled into each of them.

_Hypothermia's tricky. If you find yourself with a hypothermic team member, their life could be in real danger. They need to be dry and warm as soon as possible. Now, it's best to get them back here or get advanced medical assistance, but if that isn't possible, there are some things you can do to save their lives. First, assessment. Are there any other injuries? How deeply hypothermic are they? Slurred speech, intense shivering and diminished mental capacity are all signs of moderate hypothermia. Anything beyond that, and they're probably in a stupor or unconscious. The tricky part is if they do have other injuries. Hypothermia is hard on the heart. Jarring or setting any broken bones can bring on arrhythmia…_

"Rodney." Teyla waited a moment until Rodney stopped arranging medical supplies in neat piles. She could see the nervousness and even fear in his expression. With numbers and technology, he was at ease but, Teyla had found, when it came to the human condition, Rodney McKay was what the Earth humans called a 'basket case.'

When he met gazes with her, Teyla smiled reassuringly. "We must get John off of this wet snow and warm, but first we must immobilize his leg as Carson taught us."

"Bed-si-ide manrs…" John slurred, "suck…"

For a minute, Rodney glared at him before his expression softened. "Fine." He took a deep breath. "I can do this."

"We can trade places, Rodney and I will do it," Teyla offered.

"No," Rodney waved as he dug around in the medical supplies."I'm sure Sheppard would much rather lean against your chest than mine…" he looked up, "that is…"

"Rodney," Teyla tried to stay patient, but John's condition did not seem to be improving and sitting in the cold snow was starting to chill her as well. She thought that she felt a hitch in John's breath that could've been a weak chuckle, but she dismissed it.

"Right." Rodney pulled a wire splint from its box. Next, he grabbed a role of gauze, pulled the end loose and looked down at John's leg. He glanced up at Teyla who smiled slightly, encouraging him.

Rodney sighed. "Okay." Starting just below the knee, he wrapped the gauze around John's leg providing an extra barrier against the metal of the splint.

Teyla held tightly to John as he tensed, wincing as Rodney worked the gauze under his broken leg, jostling it slightly.

Rodney froze. "Sorry!"

"Rodney," Teyla tried to give him an encouraging look, but he didn't budge his hands motionless and John's leg half wrapped.

"Mc-ckay," John managed. "gon-na hurt… jst do it…"

Rodney stared at John's half closed eyes for a moment before he nodded. "Why can't this just be science?" he groused quietly as he slowly started wrapping again. "But no, you have to go and get all noble and get yourself hurt in the process." The tone of his voice rose slightly as he continued his work. "As if the snow wasn't bad enough, you had to add 'be a selfless hero' to the top of your list of things to do today."

In spite of the grave situation, Teyla smiled slightly. Rodney was dealing with his emotions in the best way he knew how to, by deflecting them onto someone else. She often wondered if one of the reasons he behaved the way he did, was because if people were too busy being mad at him, they wouldn't notice his discomfort, his pain or his vulnerability.

"Okay," Rodney sat back for a moment before he grabbed the splint and, again starting at John's knee, slowly wrapped the pliable wire around his leg.

Teyla shook her head. "Rodney, it must be tighter. There are gaps and if those are not removed, it will not immobilize the break."

Rodney looked up at her, hesitation written all over his face.

"Mc-ckay." John's hitched voice still, somehow, held a note of command. "D-o it… ri-ight…"

"But, that means I have to press…"

"Y-es!" John managed.

Teyla sat up straighter. "Here, come and hold him. I will do it."

"No!" Rodney waved a hand. "I… I got it." Pulling hard on the rolled remains of the splint, he took up as much slack as he could.

John grunted and tensed as Rodney's ministrations jarred his leg, but Rodney continued.

Teyla met gazes with him for a moment and nodded, before Rodney encircled John's broken bone with both hands and pressed lightly.

John's pained shout was strangled and his breathing quickened.

"That's it," Rodney whispered, "I got it."

Teyla nodded. "That is good. We do not want to do that again."

"A-grre-d…" John panted.

Teyla glanced down in time to see John blink heavily, before his eyes closed and remained closed. The shivering in his body lessened. In spite of her shared warmth, the trauma to his body and the cold around them were worsening his condition. "John?" she shook him slightly. "John. Stay awake."

"… m… h-ere…"

"John," Teyla insisted. "Open your eyes."

"Tey…" his whisper trailed off.

"John." She shook her head and looked up at Rodney, worry chilling her even more than the snow. "He has lost consciousness."

----------------------------

Ronon pushed his burning legs through the knee deep drifts as he doggedly continued through the woods towards the gate. Sweating, he threw back his hood but kept going. He'd seen Sheppard roughed up before, but never as pale as he was when they pulled him from the hole. He'd looked dead and, not breathing, he'd been pretty damned close.

Ronon tried to force the image of Teyla, breathing for Sheppard, trying to keep him alive, from his mind. They'd come so close to losing him and in that moment, Ronon had been keenly reminded of the close friendship he and Sheppard shared.

When he'd first come to Atlantis, Ronon had been doubtful of the true strength of any of them; doubtful that, in spite of their guns and weapons, any of them were true warriors.

Satedan society had a code of honor all warriors lived by, a brotherhood and sisterhood of strength, tempered with honor and morality. No mercy for the enemy, but compassion for the weak. He'd seen the compassion in Sheppard's people right away, but it took him a long time to see the strength. Theirs was a different honor in so many ways, but, he'd come to realize, the same in ways that it mattered. And no one more embodied it than Sheppard. Ronon had see Sheppard show a ruthlessness that surprised even him… and had seen the humor and compassion Sheppard used to balance it.

Ronon grabbed a small tree and used it to haul himself up on a downed log. He jumped off, landing in knee deep snow before forging on. It'd take him a while to accept the different, but equal, warrior code Sheppard lived by and Sheppard, it seemed, had been content to give him the space. But, once Ronon had accepted it, the bond between warriors he and Sheppard shared, only strengthened. Sheppard would do this for him… just as he was doing this now for Sheppard.

Ronon staggered to a stop and froze, trying to listen over his pounding heard and deep, loud breaths. He thought he heard…

Ronon's head snapped right as a growl echoed through the trees. His gaze narrowed as his right hand settled on the holstered gun he wore. Malneks. How many, he wasn't sure, but they were definitely out there. Taking a deep breath, he continued his trek. With luck, he could get to the gate, before the Malneks got to him.


	4. Chapter 4

_I'm so pleased people are still enjoying my story! (Because I'm having fun writing it ;) ) Thanks so much for the great reviews! I'm flattered. :D I'm sorry for the delay in updating. RL has been whumping ME lately, I've been working weekends and long hours. Hopefully that ended last week! :)_

_Now… where was I…?_

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Ronon's legs burned but he kept pushing, doggedly moving through the snow, each step taking him closer to the Stargate; closer to help. Motion from the corner of his eye stopped him dead in his tracks. His hand flew to his gun and he pulled it, the sound of it powering up giving him some comfort. Ronon's gaze narrowed. Through the trees and not so far away, he could see shadows lurking, pacing him; following on a parallel course.

Ronon resisted the urge to fire as the movements… the patterns of the pack suddenly drove him to the conclusion he couldn't deny. He'd spent seven years on the run from the Wraith; pursuing and being pursued. Instinctively, he knew what was happening and that intuition couldn't be silenced.

He was being hunted.

---------------------------------

"Can't you wake him?" Rodney stared at John's closed eyes and fidgeted. He wanted nothing more than to see them open. He wouldn't even mind enduring some smartass comment from the colonel. At least he'd be awake…

"No." Teyla pulled John tighter against her. "We must find another way to warm him."

"Ronon will be back soon with help," Rodney replied more to reassure himself than anything else. "Carson'll fix him up." He stared at Teyla who nodded silently, her face a mask of worry.

"Perhaps I should go to the village for help," Teyla sighed. "It is not far. They may be primitive, but still can provide us with shelter and warmth. That would help John tremendously."

"By the time you get to the village, convince them to help us and return, Ronon will be back with Carson in tow." Rodney rummaged around in the pack and pulled out a compressed waterproof tarp. Compacted down, it was barely larger than a credit card. Rodney stood and walked towards the rocks.

"What are you doing?" Teyla questioned.

"Getting out of the avalanche path," Rodney answered as he stopped behind the shadow of one of the boulders and shook the tarp open. "Really wouldn't make my day to be buried in another slide." He eyed the tarp for a moment. It wasn't big, just big enough for Sheppard and Teyla, but that was all they needed.

Teyla nodded. "Very well. The tarp will help if only to get him off the wet snow."

Rodney nodded as he made his way back to her. "That's the idea."

Teyla scooted back and crouched, her arms looped under John's. "Take his legs."

Rodney carefully slid his hand under John's broken leg and grabbed the pant cuff of his other before slowly rising. He glanced up at Teyla who silently lifted the colonel. She was strong, stronger than any woman Rodney had ever met, but Sheppard wasn't a small man and it was difficult for her to lift him. It was slow going but they managed to carry him to off the glacial field.

Rodney crouched, settling John's lower body on the tarp. He panted slightly. There was no way she and he could carry John for any reasonable distance. Not unconscious and as dead weight. Rodney cursed under his breath. _Where's Muscles Dex when you need him?_

He left John in Teyla's care and walked back across the snow, retrieving their gear and the emergency pack. He once more dug through their supplies and produced two small packages. "Here," Rodney held out the chemical packs to Teyla. "Warming packs. Maybe we can use them to help warm him up… at least his vital areas." He struck his fist into the center of one of the packs, breaking the internal seal before shaking it vigorously. Reaching under the blanket, he placed the rapidly warming pack under John's arm and against his ribcage. Rodney looked up in time to see Teyla repeat the process with the other one.

"Good thinking, Rodney," Teyla smiled slightly.

"Yeah," Rodney muttered. He stood and rubbed his gloved hands against his thighs as he paced aimlessly. He never did well with waiting, especially if he didn't have something to do… and this was one of those times. What was he supposed to do? Teyla was caring for John, Ronon was off getting help and he… Rodney sighed. He was pacing. _Great. So helpful…_

Teyla's loud sigh startled him.

"What? Is he okay?" Rodney spun and stared at John.

"He is unchanged." Teyla answered quietly.

Rodney stared at John's closed eyes and pale skin. How many times had Sheppard risked his life to save them? How many times had he succeeded? Yet now, he needed help and all they could do was sit there. Abruptly, Rodney tapped his radio. "Ronon, this is McKay. Sheppard doesn't have all the time in the world here. What's going on? Where are you?" He looked down at Teyla as both of them listened to the silence. "Ronon, this is McKay. Do you copy?" He winced as static greeted his hail before the unmistakable sound of Ronon's gun firing had him damn near tearing his headset off.

"Malneks…" Ronon's transmission broke, "almost… gate."

Rodney's jaw dropped. Suddenly the loud echoes of gunfire on his headset didn't matter. "Oh god…" Rodney's hand dropped to his sidearm. "Ronon we…" his voice trailed off as words escaped him.

"Care… Sheppard…" Ronon's voice broke through the static. ".. worry… bout… me…"

Rodney's gaze fixed on the tree line. "We have to help him!"

"We cannot," Teyla's voice was quiet. "Not and still be able to care for John. Ronon knows that." She shook her head. "If he is nearly to the gate then we would not be able to get there in time to make any difference. He will either kill the Malneks and get through to Atlantis or…" her voice trailed off. She took a deep breath. "Either way, John cannot wait. One of us must go on to the village for help." She sat up straighter. "I believe it should be me."

"What?" Rodney stiffened. "And leave me here alone with Sheppard? What if more Malnek's find us? What… what do I…" he waved his hand at John's unconscious form, "**do** with him?"

Teyla's small smile was thin. "Then you go to the village and I will stay with John," she reasoned.

Rodney froze, immediately weighing his options. Strike out through the woods for the village and then find a way to convince a bunch of natives to help them? Yeah not his forte. Or… stay with Sheppard…

"Rodney," Teyla's voice was urgent.

Rodney squeezed his eyes shut. "Alright, okay! I'll stay. You'll probably have better luck with the villagers anyway."

Teyla nodded once. "I think it is best." She sat up straighter and gently pushed John forward. "Come, you must hold him close to you and share body heat. He is still very cold."

Rodney winced slightly. "The things I do for team and city…" he muttered.

"Rodney, he needs your help," Teyla answered.

Rodney waved. "I know, I get it, I just…" he sighed. "Never mind."

Teyla smiled slightly, her gaze understanding before she stood, her hands still holding John's upper body.

Rodney took a deep breath, unzipped his parka and sat down right behind the colonel before edging his way forward, one leg on each side of John, until Teyla could gently lay John's body back against Rodney's chest. Rodney pulled his parka edges around John as much as possible and Teyla tucked the blanket in tightly around him.

"I will go as fast as I can," she reassured him as she checked the load on her P-90 before zipping up her parka.

Rodney could only manage a nod. The rest of his mind was preoccupied with just how cold John felt. "Hurry," he added hastily.

"I will." Without another word, Teyla took off at as fast a run as she could manage in the uneven snow.

Rodney watched her go. "Hurry," he repeated quietly.

---------------------------

Ronon had been hunted many times, mostly by Wraith, but sometimes by animals as he'd ran from one wild planet to another always trying to stay ahead of the Wraith. He'd fought wild animals before, but few had ever been as ruthless as these.

He'd tried not to fire until he'd had no choice, knowing the confrontation would bring the rest of the pack down on him, but when a Malnek had leapt out at him from behind some bushes, he hadn't had a choice.

Ronon backed up against a large overturned stump and fired again, his well placed shot bringing down another Malnek. He had no idea how large the pack was, but he'd already killed six and more were still coming.

Ronon spun left, his next shot taking a Malnek between the eyes, before he twisted right, taking out another one that threatened to hamstring him. Shouting his defiance, he fired over and over, each shot finding its target. It was only when he spun right again, that, in an instant, his instincts let him know he'd made a wrong move. Dispatching the Malnek in front of him, he wasn't fast enough to catch the one at his back, before it latched onto his leg. Ronon's cry of pain was more rage filled than anything as he slammed the butt of his gun down on the attacking Malnek and then shot it but not before another one grabbed his right arm. Ronon felt himself being pulled off balance and fought with everything he had. He knew if the Malneks pulled him to the ground, the fight would be over.

He kicked the Malnek as hard as he could, ignoring the pain as the force of his kick tore the animal from his arm. He quickly shot it, and then downed another that leapt straight at him.

Suddenly, it was over. It took Ronon a minute to realize that he wasn't being attacked anymore; to feel the silence around him. As his adrenaline started to fade, Ronon slumped back against the stump, his breaths coming in great gasps. His knees buckled and before he knew it, he was sitting in the cold snow. Ronon forced himself to lift his head. He looked down at his arm and gritted his teeth at the blood that flowed freely from it. His gaze fixed on his leg that wasn't much better.

Ronon took a deep breath and forced himself to stand. The gate wasn't far and the longer he sat there, the more blood he'd lose and the weaker he'd get. He closed his eyes for a moment, the image of Sheppard, half dead and needing help, searing in his mind's eye. Swallowing against a wave of nausea, Ronon staggered forward and pushed his way through the snow. He knew there were probably more Malneks out there and if they found his trail of blood he'd never be able to fight them off in his condition.

His grip tightened on his gun as he pushed on, the distant gate the only focal point he had.

-----------------------

"You really should wake up you know. Overdone dramatics aren't your style." Rodney looked down at John's closed eyes. "Sheppard?" He sighed. "Damn."

Rodney shifted his weight slightly. "Bet you're wondering now if this mission was worth it." He looked around. "Of course you're not. You're unconscious. Next time someone has intelligence they want to share, don't ask me to come along!" He frowned. "I really suck at this you know. Of all the people on Atlantis, I'm the one that has to sit here and babysit you. I hate babysitting. Kids and I just don't get along, and… you know? You're like some big damned kid sometimes. What was with the water balloon last week? I was perfectly content to just do my thing and you… you can do yours. You and Conan want to go at it, fine! Leave me out of it, especially when I'm working! You do know that technology and water don't mix right?"

"Five year olds," he muttered. "You two are a couple of five year olds! As if I don't have my hands full enough dealing with a department full of inept egomaniacs intent on doing something stupid at every turn, I have to dodge water missiles from a couple of five year olds trapped in adult bodies!"

Rodney scrubbed a gloved hand over his face. "My ass is numb now, no thanks to you. You could at least have the decency to wake up and talk to me. Feel like I'm talking to a rock… or Ronon." He chuckled. "good thing you're not sitting here with him. He wouldn't say a word."

"… some-thing… to be said… for that…"

Rodney's eyes widened. He craned his head to the side and looked down, his gaze locking on a set of glassy hazel eyes. "Sheppard? You there?"

"N… no. Yo-ur… imagin-ation…." John stuttered.

Rodney scowled, his irritation rising. _Even half dead, he's a smartass..._. "Funny." His arms tightened slightly as he felt John's shivers.

"Tey-la? Ro-non…?"

"Getting help," Rodney answered, trying to keep his voice even and casual. "Teyla is trying to reach the village, Ronon..." his voice trailed off.

"What about… Ronon?"

Rodney could feel John tense in his arms and hastily continued. "He headed back to the gate to get help from Atlantis, that's all."

"N-no… it's not…" John answered. Even weak his voice still held a note of confidence.

Rodney swallowed and forced himself to sound confident. "Yes, it is. He's probably back to Atlantis right now. That, of course, leaves me here with you."

"Obvi-ous-ly…" John shifted his weight and grunted in pain.

"Hey," Rodney answered immediately. "Don't move around so much."

John exhaled sharply. "Ye-eah," he stammered.

Rodney's brows furrowed as he stared down at his friend. For all his irritations, Sheppard really was the closest thing Rodney had or ever had, to a best friend. _Talk about unlikely…_ Everything that came out of Rodney's mouth, Sheppard took in stride, and in the thirty-six years of his life, Rodney had never met someone who had that particular talent. Even Jeanie. Combined with the fact that Sheppard was smart… really smart, not that Rodney would **ever** admit that aloud, and somehow the laid back colonel had worked his way inside Rodney's guard. Besides, all joking aside, Sheppard was really a hero, although he'd never own up to it. Part of Rodney admired that trait in the man; yet one more factoid he'd **never** admit. Ultimately, John was his friend, and in his lifetime, Rodney'd had very few of those. He knew his face showed a level of vulnerability he'd never want anyone to see and for the moment, he was glad John's back was against his chest and he couldn't see his expression. "Sheppard?" he ventured quietly.

"Hmmm…?" John's voice was slurred and drowsy.

"You need to… you know, stay awake," Rodney answered.

"Yeah…" John whispered.

"Hey!" Rodney shook him slightly. "Don't make me launch into another monologue here."

"Hell… no…" John answered. He blinked hard before seeming to force his eyes open. "Da-amn c-cold…"

Rodney swallowed hard. "I... I know." He tightened his arms around John and shed his snappy attitude, leaving behind only the concern he had for his friend. "Just hang in there, help's coming."

"I… know." John answered. He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Rodney… Thanks."

Rodney looked around for a moment before nodding. "You're welcome… John."

-----------------------------

The DHD was the only thing that kept Ronon from falling as he staggered heavily into it. He blinked hard forcing his vision to focus as he punched one symbol after another, meticulously dialing Atlantis' address. His hand fell hard on the center of the DHD and he looked up as the wormhole flushed into existence. Reaching inside his left vambrace, he pulled out his IDC and sent his code before pushing himself away from the DHD.

His legs were leaden, each step grueling as he pushed himself through the snow towards the active gate. Suddenly, he heard a growl from behind and without turning, knew the Malneks had found him. Pushing himself, he demanded more from his legs, but blood loss and injury sapped his strength. As he neared the event horizon, he turned, his gaze fixing on a silver Malnek that leapt towards him.

Ronon's hand dropped to his gun, but it never cleared the holster as the Malnek plowed into his chest.

----------------------

"Incoming wormhole."

Elizabeth hastily crossed the small bridge between her office and Ops. She looked at her technician, Chuck, expectantly.

Chuck nodded. "Ronon's IDC."

Elizabeth smiled. "Lower the shield." She tapped her hand once on one of the Ancient control panels before quickly walking out of ops and down the gate room stairs. Halfway across the gate room she stopped and watched the active Stargate expectantly but the seconds dragged by, a whisper of concern started inside her. She reached up, activating her radio. "Ronon, this is Weir. You and your team are clear to return." Silence greeted her hail. She looked up towards ops and continued speaking on the radio. "Is the signal getting through?"

"Yes, ma'am," Chuck responded.

Elizabeth nodded, the whisper of worry in her gut intensifying. "Ronon, this is Weir. Please respond." She made eye contact with one of the gate room security officers and nodded. He nodded back before signaling his team. Immediately, they all raised weapons and stared at the gate.

A ripple in the wormhole heralded an incoming traveler, but her moment of relief was short lived. Elizabeth instinctively recoiled as Ronon fell backwards through the gate and slid across the floor, his hands around the neck of a large, dog-like beast. It was hard to tell the beast from Ronon and she knew none of the SO's could find a clean shot. "Security to the gate room!"

One of the soldiers dropped his gun and pulled a knife before running to Ronon's aid. He buried his knife in the back of the beast before jumping out of the way. The distraction was all they needed. The creature let go of Ronon and jumped off him, providing the soldiers with a clean shot. It was over in a matter of seconds as the beast crumpled under gunfire.

"Ronon!" Elizabeth ran across the gate room. "Medical team to the gate room immediately!" she ordered. She looked past Ronon as the wormhole disengaged. Kneeling next to him, she stared into his eyes. "Where's the rest of your team?"

"Sheppard…" Ronon panted. "Caught in an avalanche. Malneks…"

Elizabeth glanced at the dead beast before looking back to Ronon. "That's a Malnek?" She was familiar with the name; it'd been mentioned often enough in the mission report from when they'd been captured by the Wraith, but to see one up close… Elizabeth shuddered slightly. She looked back to Ronon. "Teyla? Rodney?"

"With Sheppard…" Ronon struggled to sit up.

"Easy," Elizabeth placed a firm hand on his chest. She tapped her headset with the other. "Major Lorne, report to the gate room immediately." Elizabeth looked down as Ronon pressed a Life Signs Detector into her hand.

"McKay says… Zelenka can use this… to fix the Jumpers so they can… fly on the planet…"

Elizabeth took the detector and nodded.

"What the bloody hell is that?"

Elizabeth looked up to see Carson sidestep the dead Malnek and rush to Ronon's side.

Carson knelt. "Easy son."

Elizabeth stood and looked up at ops. "Dr. Zelenka come down here," she called. She watched as the short Czech scientist hurried down the stairs. When he was close to her she held out the detector to him. "We need to take a Jumper to M7G-949. Ronon says that Rodney modified this device to work in spite of the planet's magnetic fields. Can you use it as a model to modify a Jumper?"

Zelenka looked down at Ronon before meeting gazes with Elizabeth again. "Is possible. What has happened?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know for sure. Something about Malneks and avalanches. What we do know is that Colonel Sheppard, Rodney and Teyla are in trouble." She nodded her head at the detector. "Can you make the changes, Radek?"

Zelenka nodded once. "I will get to work on it right away. Excuse me." Turning he trotted across the gate room and back up the stairs presumably towards the Jumper Bay.

Elizabeth looked down, watching the medical team work over Ronon. "Carson?" She questioned.

"He's lost a lot of blood. I'm amazed he was still on his feet at all. I need to get him to the infirmary immediately." Carson glanced up. "What's this of avalanches and Colonel Sheppard?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I don't know, not yet."

Carson nodded once as his team lifted Ronon on to a stretcher. "Aye. Keep me informed. I'm probably pulling Dr. Sanson from vascular surgery into this one, so if there's a medical emergency off world, I'll be there." Without another word he quickly followed Ronon's stretcher from the gate room.

Elizabeth took a moment to stare at the inactive gate, before she caught sight of Major Lorne entering the gate room from the southern door. He stutter stepped as he caught sight of the dead Malnek before rushing over to her.

"What the hell happened?"

Elizabeth turned away from the gate. "I'll fill you in as we go, Major, but Colonel Sheppard's team is in trouble and we need to come up with a plan to help them."


	5. Chapter 5

_Thanks again for the lovely reviews. I've been a bit whumped by RL issues lately, so its nice to read your lovely reviews and know you're liking the story.__Thank you! :)_

_This chapter is a little shorter than the last... sorry. It was a good stopping place. ;) Probably one or two more chapters left to finish the story :)  
_

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Teyla couldn't help the feeling of dread that persisted within her and if there was one thing her mother taught her, was to always listen to her instincts.

_"Heed them well, Teyla, for they will not lead you astray…"_

Teyla pushed through the snow, shallower as she ventured deeper into the forest. She knew much of the fear she felt stemmed from John's grave condition and Ronon's uncertain fate, yet there was more; a nagging, persistent feeling that something was not right. Her pace slowed as she reached the outskirts of the village and she knew instantly that her instincts had been right.

A village such as this should be bustling with activity but where she expected to hear the noises and voices of a healthy, vibrant community, she only heard silence. Small tendrils of smoke still drifted up from charred buildings and scattered, bodies laid crumpled on the ground. Nearby, a lone, Wraith soldier lay dead in the snow. Teyla took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. Many of the peoples that Atlantis worked with provided intelligence at their own risk. It was always a possibility that the Wraith would learn of their activities, especially with well disguised worshippers all over the galaxy.

Breathing heavily, Teyla looked around at the few bodies that remained but she did not venture further into the village. There were too few bodies to account for everyone and the Wraith, embroiled in a civil war over dwindling food supplies, would not leave any viable food source behind. She knew, without doubt that the living had been culled, the desperately wounded fed upon on the spot, and the dead left where they fell.

Her gaze narrowed at a ravaged body and she swallowed a hard lump in her throat. Malneks had been here. No wonder they'd been so aggressive. Volatile by nature, the death of the village, the bodies left behind… the taste of human flesh, all had made them that much more dangerous.

_John and Rodney…_

Turning away, she took a deep breath and hurried back towards the glacial field.

------------------------------

Elizabeth stopped at the foot of the lowered ramp on Jumper One and stared for a moment at Zelenka. His gaze was riveted on one of the control panels and he muttered quietly in Czech. He looked down at the Life Signs Detector in his hand, his words turning questioning before he returned his attention to the panel, his mumbling continuing.

Elizabeth cleared her throat lightly, but still managed to startle him.

Zelenka jumped slightly before looking at her. "Dr. Weir. I did not see you there."

Her smile thin, Elizabeth walked up the ramp. "It's okay, Radek. How goes it?"

Zelenka looked back up at the control panel. "I think I know what Rodney did. It's brilliant, really. I would not have thought of it."

In spite of her worry, Elizabeth's smile deepened slightly as she watched realization dawn on him as what he said sunk in.

"Please do not tell him that I said that," Zelenka looked over at her and arched his brows imploringly.

Elizabeth nodded. "Rodney probably doesn't need to know you said it," she agreed.

"Perish the thought," Zelenka muttered as he made a slight adjustment on one of the Ancient crystals. "I think I will have the necessary adjustments completed in about a half hour."

Elizabeth nodded. "I'll inform Major Lorne and Dr. Beckett so the team is ready when you are." She turned and walked back down the ramp. At the bottom, she paused and looked back at him. "Nice work, Radek."

Zelenka paused in his work long enough to smile back. "Thank you."

Elizabeth left him to his job and walked towards the exit to the Jumper Bay, the Infirmary her next stop. She held tight to her resolve and silently prayed the three wayward members of her expedition could hang on, just a little longer.

---------------------------------

"R-odney…" John muttered.

Keeping his own teeth from chattering, Rodney looked down at John. "What?"

"Ro-non," John managed, with apparently as much emphasis as he could. In spite of the stuttering hitch to his voice, it still was heavily slurred.

And yet, Rodney could her conviction behind his words… a conviction he had was pretty sure John Sheppard would carry to his grave… _but that's not going to be today!_ Rodney insisted. "What about him?" He asked.

"M…mo-re then… yr… telln… me…" John insisted. He tensed and groaned.

Rodney swallowed hard and took a deep breath. "What? No! Why do you always read things into everything? And didn't I tell you to stop moving around so much?"

"… suck at… lyin'…" John insisted. "… should play… poker… cl-ean ya… ou-out…"

"Funny," Rodney snapped, in spite of his concern. _Even half dead, he's still an irritating son of a…_ "Nothing is wrong, so stop being paranoid! Ronon went to get help from Atlantis."

"be-en… too lo-ong…"

"How the hell would you know? You were buried in the snow, nearly died and you've been lucky to be half conscious since then. Somehow, I think your sense of time is a little skewed." Rodney pursed his lips and fell silent. In spite of everything, he refused to treat Sheppard any different. As long as he didn't get all serious and mushy, Sheppard would believe things were going to be okay… at least, Rodney hoped he would…

"M-kay…" John answered quietly.

Rodney took a deep breath, craned his head and managed to make eye contact with John. Beyond the pain and weakness, he saw a knowing glint in John's eyes. The colonel knew something was wrong, and no amount of protesting by Rodney would change his mind. _Damn his instincts!_ Rodney swallowed. "Everything is going to be okay," he insisted quietly.

John stared at him for a moment longer, before his head jerked in a weak nod.

Rodney nodded back, once, curtly. "Good because you…" his voice trailed off as he heard something that made his blood run cold. "Can't be…" he whispered.

"M-kay…?"

In his arms, Rodney could feel John's body tense, before a hoarse, weak cry escaped John's mouth.

"… wh-at…"

"Shh!" Rodney listened again, fervently hoping his ears had been playing tricks on him, but the lone howl that echoed around him forced him to face the truth. "Malneks," he whispered, "oh no…"

"aw… h-ell…"

Rodney instantly tightened his grip as John's body tensed, though weakly, against his grip.

Instantly, John cried out in pain, his voice strangled by the cold that shrouded him.

"Hey! Knock it off!" Rodney insisted. "Maybe they won't find us."

"Not… a ch-ance…" John pulled against him again and this time his weak cry broke under the pain.

"Didn't I say knock that off?" Rodney insisted. He pushed down his fear, smothering it with determination. It was something he'd never realized he'd had until he'd stepped through a Stargate and ended up stranded in the Pegasus galaxy. Since then, he'd learned the value of throwing the panic on the back burner and finding ways to survive. He wasn't always successful at it, but this time, with Sheppard injured and helpless, he had to be. "Lie there like a good boy so I don't have to worry about you and can focus on trying to keep the two of us from end up as a hot dinner!" He looked around as another howl answered the first, this time closer. His gaze fixed on the low sun, rapidly making its way down towards the horizon. As if the Malneks weren't bad enough in the daytime, once it was dark, they'd get all the bolder.

Rodney let go of John with his right hand and fumbled for his sidearm. After a couple of unsuccessful attempts he sighed in exasperation before grabbing the fingers of his glove with his teeth and ripping it off. He grabbed his sidearm and held it tightly, his arm resting on John's side.

Rodney felt John's hand move, the motion just barely preceding the colonel's words.

"Gi-ve me… gun…"

Rodney stiffened. "Not going to happen!" he insisted, "but that gives me an idea…" Once again using his teeth, he pulled his left glove off and shifted his sidearm to his left hand. He plunged his right hand under the blanket again, feeling his way down John's side. His hand halted as John tensed and winced. He turned his head and looked his friend in the eye. "Did you break some ribs too?"

"prob-bly…"

In spite of the situation, Rodney's irritation got the best of him. His shoulders sagged and he rolled his eyes in disgust. "That's need to know information! Stop being so damned stoic! What else did you hurt?"

"M-kay…"

"What?" He snapped. Rodney's head jerked up as another howl echoed across the glacial field. He squinted and barely made out moving forms… almost shadows in the growing dusk, roaming along the distant tree line.

"n-ows… prob-bly… not the.. time…"

Rodney abruptly looked down again. "Good point." He felt his way down John's side and wrapped his hand around the colonel's side arm, before hastily pulling it out.

"Gim-mie… that…"

"Are you nuts?" Rodney lifted the sidearm away from John's body. "If you can actually see straight, I'll eat my glove! No way!" He stared at the distant, slowly moving shadows, his breath quickening as adrenaline coursed through him. _We're so screwed…_

"R-dny…"

Rodney looked down at his friend. "What?"

"Get… outtahere…"

"What?" Rodney tensed, "No!"

"C-nt… fight 'em with… sidearms… prob-bly… too many…"

"I am **not** leaving you here." Rodney never tore his eyes from the shadows. His hearing was sharpened by adrenaline and he could discern snaps and snarls as the shadows moved out of the trees and slowly meandered onto the glacial field.

"mo-bile… can get… away…" John insisted.

"Not happening." Rodney shook his head for emphasis even if it was just to himself. He stared at the Malneks as he psyched himself up for what he knew was coming.

"Its… an order…"

"Civilian, remember?" Rodney retorted.

"my… team…" John tensed in a moment of strength as he pulled against Rodney's grasp. "Go-o!" he insisted.

"No!" Rodney snapped loudly. He looked down at John and met the colonel's groggy but determined look with a baleful one of his own. "Now shut up so I can concentrate!" He held John's gaze until the colonel looked away. His head jerked in what could've been a nod, but Rodney wasn't sure. After one more second, he looked up and fixed his gaze on the slowly approaching Malneks.

"d-on't fire… untl ya haveto…" John managed.

"Yeah," Rodney answered quietly. He felt strangely calm for someone facing his own death, but Rodney decided not to dwell on it. He reflexively tightened his grip on the gun in his right hand, before flipping off the safety with a quiet click.

"Rdny…?"

"Yeah?" Rodney didn't spare a glance down at his friend, but rather kept his eyes fixed on the distant but approaching Malneks.

"You're… good friend…"

Rodney took a deep breath. "Yeah, well, you too. But if we survive this, I never said that."

He felt and heard John's weak chuckle and somehow found a small smile in response.

"Me… either…"

Rodney's smile faded as the Malneks drew closer.

---------------------

Pausing just inside the door to the infirmary, Elizabeth looked around, catching sight of one of Carson's medics, Carolyn Lansing. Elizabeth smiled slightly at the medic and walked up to her.

"Dr. Weir," Carolyn nodded once.

"Lansing," Elizabeth nodded back. "Is Carson still attending Ronon?"

Carolyn looked towards the OR wing then back to Elizabeth. "Yes. He and Dr. Sanson should be done soon though. I think Carson said something about talking to you when he was finished."

"How is Ronon, do you know?"

Carolyn smiled. "He was stable when they took him in to repair the damage. Carson said, and I quote 'he's as strong as a bloody ox.'"

Elizabeth chuckled, partially because she had no doubt Carson said those exact words but also because Ronon's prognosis was good. She looked past Carolyn as the OR wing doors opened and Carson walked through.

Carson smiled at both of them but fixed his gaze on the medic. "Carolyn, love, would you be sure there's a somewhat private spot for Ronon when he comes out of recovery?"

Carolyn nodded and walked off.

"Carson?" Elizabeth raised her brows slightly.

Carson's smile persisted. "He'll be fine. Sport a couple of scars, but otherwise I don't expect any complications. He's tough, that one."

Elizabeth smiled in agreement. "He is."

"How goes Zelenka's work?" Carson's small smile faded.

Elizabeth inhaled deeply as her smile disappeared as well. "He says he's almost done."

"Aye," Carson pulled his surgical cap off and scrubbed his scalp. "Ronon's in good hands, so I'll be takin' a seat on that Jumper if you don't mind?"

Elizabeth nodded once. "I wouldn't dream of objecting, Carson."

Carson threw his cap on a nearby desk. "I'll just get my pack ready. Excuse me."

Elizabeth watched him go for a moment, before turning and heading for the infirmary exit. She tapped her headset. "Major Lorne, the modifications to the Jumper are nearly complete."

"Copy that, Dr. Weir," Lorne responded. "I've got my team together. We'll head right up to the Jumper Bay."

"Sounds good Major, Weir out." Keeping her face impassive, she buried her worry as she headed towards Ops. John was a fighter, so was Teyla and even Rodney. They'd find a way to make do… to survive, until help got to them.

And that help was coming.

---------------------------

There was a reason Rodney was a scientist… he would've sucked as a hunter.

_Okay,_ Rodney reasoned as he tried to shake off the downright weird thought, _there were a lot of reasons…_ but since coming to Pegasus, he'd done a lot of things that he swore he'd never do and firing a gun was one of them.

He had nothing against them, really, he just believed they had their place, and that place wasn't in the hands of someone as brilliant as he.

But then he'd met life sucking aliens hell bent on killing them all.

Amazing how life's curveballs can change your perspective.

Rodney's grip tightened on the gun. Sitting in the snow, facing down a pack of blood thirsty wolf… things, wasn't exactly the situation he wanted to be in but deep down he knew he had no choice. Leaving Sheppard wasn't an option no matter how much the disgustingly heroic colonel insisted on it. Rodney glanced down at his friend's wild dark hair, untamed by the ordeal. _You'd never leave me…_

"M-ky…" Sheppard stuttered.

"What?" Rodney's reply was short, but it was all he could manage and still keep his voice even.

"St-stand up…"

Rodney sighed. "We've been through this. I'm not leaving you. Period."

"I didn't say g-go…" Sheppard managed, "st-stand…more… m-mobile…"

Rodney's eyes darted back and forth between the fanned out but approaching Malneks for a moment, before he nodded. "Right." He pulled himself away from Sheppard and gently eased him to the ground.

Somehow, Sheppard managed to push himself up on an elbow. "And g-gimme a… damned…g-gun…"

Rodney froze in a squat and looked down at his friend. "What the hell," he muttered. "We're probably screwed anyway…" He pressed one of the guns into Sheppard's hand.

"that's… the s-spirt…" Sheppard managed as his hand wrapped around the nine mil.

"Right." Rodney took a moment to look at his friend. "Just don't shoot me."

"S-savin' that… for wh-when I feel bttr…"

Rodney couldn't help but roll his eyes at Sheppard's comment. He slowly stood just behind Sheppard. His gaze never left the Malneks as the lead animals stopped for one moment and raised their heads. Even from a distance, Rodney could see that their gazes were fixed on him and he swore he could see a glint in their eyes, although if that was real or a trick by the setting sun, he wasn't sure. Not that it mattered. It only took the Malneks a moment before they decided that Rodney and the man he was protecting were their next pray. Lowering their heads close to the ground they snarled and resumed their course towards him and Sheppard.

Rodney had never been hunted before… unless you counted the Wraith, but this… this was different somehow. Carnal… base and terrifying in its own way. He felt a shiver race up his back and in spite of the chill a cold sweat broke out on his brow. He slowly raised his gun, the grip of hands tightening. Sheppard said nothing and Rodney wasn't sure if he was just focusing all his strength on the coming fight, or if it was just that there really wasn't anything left to be said between them. Rodney suspected it was both but in some small way, felt better for Sheppard's presence. The man may be half dead, but if there was one thing he knew about Sheppard is the man was tenaciously strong when he had to be… and this was one of those times. Deep down, Rodney knew the Malneks would probably take him down; kill both him and Sheppard…

… but they were going to get a hell of a fight for it.

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_yeah, yeah, I know... you all probably don't think a cliffie is a good stopping place, but it was...really! ;) _


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks so much, again, for the lovely reviews! I'm so glad people are enjoying reading my story. Thanks so much for the kind and encouraging words! :)_

_----------------------  
_

John pushed back against the cold fog clouding his mind, forcing himself to think clearly… _or just stay awake!_ His right elbow rested heavily on his side as he couldn't even muster the strength to hold his gun hand up. Not that it mattered too much. He could still shoot from the hip and hit more often than miss. It was a style of shooting frowned on by the Air Force, but he'd always been a sucker for a good western, so it was something he'd perfected a long time ago. He drew in a stuttering breath. His left elbow shook from trying to hold his weight but he refused to let it give out. Behind him, he heard the crunch of snow as Rodney apparently shifted his stance.

_McKay…_ For a moment, John remembered the way Rodney had been when they'd first arrived in Pegasus. A lot had changed since then, and so, apparently, had McKay. He'd known Rodney wasn't going to leave him behind, even when he insisted on it. Underneath all the blustering, Rodney was a good guy… not that he'd ever admit it. Part of John felt guilty over it; Rodney would probably die alongside him for his principles, but he pushed the feelings away. They'd survive, if he had anything to say about it.

John shook his head slightly. The cold was playing with his concentration; his thoughts were all over the place, when they needed to be focused on the approaching Malneks.

The lead animal snarled and uncontrolled memories flashed over John. _Wraith… Malneks… fighting… pain…._ John dismissed the memories. They'd survived then, with only swords and wits and this time, with guns, they'd survive again.

The Malneks inched closer as they spread out. John swallowed hard. Through the cold and the pain, his stomach was threatening to do undignified things as well. _Great… that's all I need…_ "M-kay…" he managed. John closed his eyes for a second and tried to stop his teeth from chattering but it was futile. In the back of his head, words like 'hypothermia' and 'life threatening' popped to mind, but he called on a deep pool of strength; a well he kept full for just such an occasion, and cleared his mind. "R-odney."

"What?"

Rodney's reply was snappy, but John expected it. Even in one word, he could hear a hint of the fear Rodney tried to keep in check. John didn't blame him, not for one second. With the growing darkness, the Malneks looked more like werewolves than actual wolves. Maybe it was a trick of the light, but they seemed to have huge rounded backs and low set heads. Their mouths were full of sharp teeth and their eyes caught the last rays of sun and gleamed as they stared back with a viciousness that redoubled the cold chills that swept through him. _Hell yes, McKay's scared, he'd be insane not to be! _John pushed down his fear. "S-plit…" he managed. "Th-the big black one… th-that's twelve o'clock. Y-you take six to t-twelve. I'll take twelve to s-six…"

"They're all big and black!" Rodney snapped back.

"M-kay," John hissed through clenched teeth, "th-the alpha! The r-really big-g one!" He cocked his gun and flipped off the safety. "H-old… fire…not y-yet…"

"Yeah… and how much closer do you want them?" Rodney retorted quietly.

"M-kay!" John managed to glare up at him before returning his attention to the Malneks as they inched closer. "F-focus!"

"Right," Rodney sighed. "This would be better if you still had your P-90," he added crossly.

John's teeth were chattering so loudly that he struggled to even hear his friend. He cocked a brow. "L-lost it… t-tryin not to…get killed by… s-snow…"

"Right," Rodney answered, "of course you did."

John didn't have the strength to retort. Leave it to Rodney to somehow make being caught in an avalanche and losing his P-90, his fault.

"I swear if we get out of this alive, I'm carrying a P-90 anytime we go off world from now on." Rodney groused.

Abrupt movement out of the corner of John's eye quelled any reply he had. "McKay!" he warned as one of the Malneks leapt at Rodney who immediately opened fire.

Adrenaline spurred on by an intense instinct for survival, coursed through John sharpening his senses and lending him strength as his shots immediately joined Rodney's.

-------------------

Teyla froze in her tracks the unmistakable sound of nine mil fire sending a cold stab into her heart. She stared for a moment at the trees. "No," she whispered. The shots could only mean one thing.

The Malneks had found John and Rodney.

She reached up and slapped her headset as she took off through the snow as fast as she could. "Rodney, do you read me?" She shook her head at the foreboding silence that greeted her, but she tried to find some level of reassurance as the gunfire continued to echo proving they were still alive. Teyla redoubled her efforts as she pushed through the snow.

----------------------

"Watch it!" Rodney sent two shots into a Malnek poised to leap at John before reaching down for his spare clip. "Reload!"

On cue, the colonel shifted his attention, firing on another Malnek that eyed Rodney.

Rodney slid the clip into place and cocked the gun, just as another Malnek slipped past John's defenses and latched onto him, just above the knee of his broken leg.

Crippled by pain, John's hoarse cry echoed off the rocks as the Malnek savagely shook his leg. He tried to aim his gun, but the few shots he managed went wide.

"John!" Rodney fired at the Malnek, his shots forcing the beast to let go and stumble back. Rodney took one step towards his friend, before his world turned upside down. He felt the air rush out of his lungs as a tremendous weight plowed into his back forcing him to the ground. His face buried in the snow, Rodney bent his arm, firing wildly, desperately hoping he'd get lucky. Somehow, an errant thought of how Sheppard would rake him across the coals for firing his weapon so irresponsibly, managed to work its way into his thoughts, but panic was a strong motivator and desperately, he fired until his clip was empty.

It was a long moment, before he realized two things. First, the weight on his back wasn't moving… wasn't burying its teeth into his neck. Second more gunfire echoed… automatic gunfire. Heaving himself up, Rodney shrugged out from under the dead Malnek and his eyes fixed on Teyla standing firmly in front of him and John firing repeatedly at any Malnek that dared approach. His breaths heaving, his gaze fixed on John who was as motionless as the dead Malnek next to him. "Sheppard!" On hands and knees, Rodney crawled the short distance between them. He spared a moment to look down at John's closed eyes, before he took the nine mil from the colonel's limp grasp and fired, point blank, at an approaching Malnek who seemed to think the unconscious colonel would make a good dinner. "Son of a bitch!" Rodney shouted before his next shot dropped the beast…

…and then, it was silent.

Rodney looked around for a moment, ready to shoot anything hairy that moved before he realized all the Malneks around him were dead. He looked up at Teyla who lowered her weapon.

"It is over, Rodney," she said quietly, her gaze somehow both comforting and resolute at the same time.

Rodney took another breath before lowering the gun. He looked down at Sheppard's pale face. If the colonel had looked half dead before, he looked at least ninety percent there now. Rodney pressed his fingers into Sheppard's throat, but it was a long moment before he was able to nod in relief. "He's alive, barely."

Teyla dropped her gun, letting it hang from her TAC vest as she grabbed the tattered emergency blanket and heaved it out from under the body of a Malnek.

Rodney scrambled around behind Sheppard and lifted him up before pulling him close to his body once more as Teyla tucked the blanket in around him.

"God," Rodney whispered, "he's so cold." He stared at Sheppard's head for a moment, and tried to quell the dread within him. _Not now… not after all of this. You're not checking out, Sheppard!_ He looked up at Teyla. "Ronon?" He stared at Teyla's somber expression. "If he didn't make it…" Rodney's voice trailed off as a familiar hum reached his ears. He looked up and was met with what was probably the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen.

A Puddle Jumper.

----------------------------

At first, Lorne swore his eyes were playing tricks on him, but the black specks he could barely make out in the dusk, coincided directly with the HUD's tracking of their people's sub q transmitters. A small smile jumped to his face. "There!" he exclaimed as he pointed straight out through the Jumper windshield. He smacked the console, opening communications. "This is Jumper Two. Colonel? Teyla? McKay do you copy?"

"Major," Teyla's voice immediately answered. "It is very good to see you. The colonel is gravely injured. We must get him back to Atlantis as soon as possible."

Lorne pushed the Jumper into a descent. "Copy that."

"Major," McKay interjected. "The snow field is unstable. It might not hold the weight of the Jumper without sinking."

Lorne eyed the uneven avalanche snow and nodded. "Thanks for the heads up, McKay. We'll take it careful and see what happens."

"Refocus the Jumper's sensors up the mountain as well. With all the gunfire and avalanche activity, the snow pack has to be unstable. I'd rather not get buried in another slide."

Lorne cocked a brow and pushed back his irritation at the decidedly commanding tone McKay took. Annoying as it was, he was right. Besides, they had more important things to think about than bruised egos. "Copy that."

"What's the Colonel's condition?" Carson interrupted.

"Did Teyla not just say grave?" Rodney snapped back.

Lorne glanced up at Carson who took a deep breath.

"Yes, Rodney, but that's a wee bit vague."

"He's hypothermic, unconscious, probably has some broken ribs and a broken leg. Does that sum it up?" Rodney answered sharply.

"Aye," Carson sighed.

Lorne tuned out the conversation as he felt the Jumper touch down. Jarring shudders swept through the hull as the snow underneath them buckled and his grip on the controls tightened; ready at a second's notice to lift off. _The last thing we need is for us to get stuck…_ He eyed the HUD as the shuddering stopped. "Looks like we're settling. His gaze shifted and he looked past the transparent display at the bodies of several dead animals around them. In the back of his mind, he pulled on the mission reports he'd read and Weir's words in the Gate room. "Malneks," he muttered. Lorne turned in his chair, his gaze zeroing in on the tall Marine standing by the back hatch. "Hutchinson! Get your team out there and set up a perimeter."

Hutchinson nodded once, curtly before slapping the hatch control. The ramp was barely half open, before the team of Marines jumped out the back and fanned out.

Lorne grabbed his P-90 and let Carson go ahead of him as the back hatch settled into the snow.

Carson sidestepped a dead Malnek and shot it a brief look. "Bloody hell those things are big!"

Lorne nodded in agreement. "I thought the one in the Gate room was big, but those..." his voice trailed off as he stopped a few feet away from the colonel's battered team. His gaze fixed on Sheppard, cradled in Rodney's arms, as Carson knelt next to them. The colonel was just about as white as the snow around him. "Damn," Lorne muttered as he pushed down his concern with practiced professionalism. His gaze switched to Teyla who stood and walked over to him. He nodded once at her. "You okay?"

Teyla's slight smile was hollow. "Yes. But, the colonel…" her voice trailed off.

Lorne nodded. "Yeah."

"Ronon?" Teyla asked hesitantly.

Lorne gave her the best reassuring smile he could muster. "He's going to be ok."

"Going to be?" Rodney interrupted as he looked up at the both of them.

"Yeah," Lorne nodded. He still had a hard time believing what had happened. "Ronon was attacked by Malneks. Brought one with him through the gate."

"A Malnek?" Teyla's eyes widened.

"Yeah, little lively in the Gate room for a few minutes, but the guys took care of it."

"He's going to be fine," Carson interjected as headed straight for Sheppard.

Teyla took a deep breath. "We knew that Ronon was attacked, but did not know if he…" her voice trailed off.

Lorne stared at her for a moment as he absorbed what she'd said. They hadn't known if Ronon was even alive, much less if help was coming. _Hell of a situation to be in. _"It's okay now," he responded quietly, satisfied when Teyla nodded silently back.

---------------------

Adrenaline sharpened Carson's wits as he fell to his knees and pressed his hand into Sheppard's throat. His practiced eye quickly passed over the colonel's body as he felt Sheppard's slow pulse tattoo against his fingers. "Ach, lad…" He looked up at Lorne. "I need the rest of my supplies including the stretcher."

Lorne nodded and gestured at one of his team. "Collins."

"He's not shivering anymore," Rodney commented quietly.

Carson looked up, meeting his concerned gaze. "Aye. He's too cold for it." Carson's eyes scanned down Sheppard's injured leg, stopping just above the break to settle on his shredded pant leg. "What…"

"Malnek got a hold of him," Rodney answered.

Carson blinked hard. "Oh good God…" he couldn't imagine the pain the colonel had gone through from the attack. "He's lucky to be alive. In his condition, that kind of jarring to a broken bone could've sparked an arrhythmia and killed him."

"He's strong," Rodney muttered.

Carson nodded. "Aye, he's going to have to stay strong to get through this." Carson ran a hand over the tightly secured wire splint, but left it alone. "We'll deal with that when he's warmer," Carson muttered to no one in particular. He looked up as Collins set a large medical bag next to him. "Good son. There's a heavy blanket in there, get it out and get him covered." Carson switched his attention to Lorne. "There's not much I can do here. We need to get him back to Atlantis."

"Sir," Hutchinson's voice broke in, "Life Signs Detector is picking up multiple signals in the trees headed this direction."

Carson sighed. "Ach, great."

"Villagers?" Lorne turned a questioning look to Teyla, who shook her head.

"No, the village was culled and destroyed. There are none left alive."

"Wraith?" Lorne answered sharply.

"I do not sense a Wraith presence," Teyla reassured.

"Then it's another pack." Rodney added, "somehow, I'm not any more comforted."

"How the hell did people live on this planet with these damned things?" Lorne wondered out loud as he looked around.

"The Malneks found… the dead in the remains of the village," Teyla answered quietly. "I believe that has made them more aggressive towards humans."

"Not what I needed to hear," Rodney muttered.

Carson took a deep breath and fixed his gaze on Lorne. "Major," he insisted quietly.

Lorne nodded once. "Right." He looked over at Hutchinson. "How far?"

"Couple hundred yards, sir," Hutchinson answered.

"We're not waitin' for them to show up," Lorne turned his attention to Collins. "Help the good doc. Let's get the Colonel on the Jumper and get the hell out of here."

"In a minute," Carson answered as he quickly unfolded the collapsible stretcher next to Sheppard, before he pulled another splint from his large bag and set to further immobilizing the colonel's leg.

"Doc," Lorne's voice held a note of urgency, "we're sort of on a clock here…."

"Aye," Carson's reply was short, "but we're doing this the right way, Major. I'll not risk another jarring to that leg. The colonel's condition is precarious enough."

Lorne pressed his lips together and nodded. He looked over at Hutchinson. "Captain, stay sharp."

Hutchinson nodded back. "Got it, sir."

Carson secured the splint before he slid his hands under Sheppard's injured leg and grabbed the pant cuff of his other leg as Collins joined Rodney to help lift Sheppard's upper body. "Careful now," Carson cautioned, "we need to do this as smoothly as possible." Carson shifted his feet under himself and looked at Rodney and Collins. "Ready? Lift." Together the three of them lifted Sheppard onto the stretcher. Carson gently let go of Sheppard's legs and stood as Collins and Rodney stepped back as well.

Lorne edged his way in front of Rodney. "I got it."

"What…" Rodney looked up at him.

"Rodney," Carson interjected and gave the doctor a pointed look.

"Right." Rodney stepped back.

Lorne and Collins took the front of the stretcher while one of the Marines and Carson took the bottom. Slowly, they worked their way through the snow and back into the Jumper. As they settled Sheppard on the floor, Carson looked out the back and past the retreating Marines his gaze fixing on moving shadows barely visible against the growing darkness. "Damn," he whispered as the last of the Marines backpedaled into the Jumper and closed the ramp. "Stuff of nightmares," he added, before returning his attention to Sheppard. He stuffed three more emergency warming packs around Sheppard's torso before tucking the blanket tighter around him. He grabbed the colonel's wrist, palpating his pulse before looking up at Lorne who eased the Jumper off the ground. "Major, adjust the environmental controls. I want it warmer in here. As soon as you're in range, dial Atlantis. I want a full hypothermia team standing by in the Jumper bay."

"You got it, Doc," Lorne responded.

A quiet groan captured Carson's attention and he looked down watching as Sheppard's eyelids fluttered. "Colonel? John? Son, open your eyes."

Slowly, Sheppard's eyelids parted ever so slightly, the hazel coloring muted by dilated pupils. "Wha…" His voice was more a slurred whisper than anything.

Carson put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy, John. We'll take good care of ye."

Sheppard swallowed. "D…doc…."

Carson smiled slightly. "Aye," he replied quietly. "We got you, son."

------------


	7. Chapter 7

_Sorry it took me so long to get this out! RL got in the way big time and then for some reason, my muse went into hiding for a couple days. *rolls eyes* anyway, here it is! The last chapter of the story. Thanks so much for reading, reviewing and encouraging me. I really love to know that people enjoy my work :)  
_

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_

Elizabeth slipped through the door to the Jumper bay before it was completely opened and she trotted across the bay, heading towards the Jumper before it even landed. Ahead of her, the medical team stood ready to act as soon as John was offloaded.

Barely a few feet behind the team, she stopped and took a deep breath as the back hatch of the Jumper slowly lowered and she got her first glimpse of John… not that she could see much. Between Carson, the medical team and the blankets wrapped around him, it was a wonder she could see him at all.

"Get a warm saline IV started right away," Carson ordered as he grabbed a stethoscope off the neck of one of his team. "And get those warmed blankets on him. Someone page the orthopedic surgeon on call, I think its Kearson." Carson stepped back. "Onto the stretcher now, easy."

Elizabeth stood not so patiently at the bottom of the ramp and managed to make eye contact with Carson as he accompanied John's stretcher from the Jumper. "Carson?"

Carson spared her the briefest of glances. "I don't have anything for you right now, Elizabeth. We have to get him to the infirmary."

"Doctor Beckett his BP is 90/60 and his heart rate is 50 and irregular," a nurse quickly informed him. "Respiration is slow."

"Damn it," Carson muttered. "Let's move people!" He grabbed one side of the stretcher and pushed.

Elizabeth trotted a few steps to catch up with him and kept pace as they quickly hurried down the corridor. Ahead of the stretcher, Lorne and Hutchinson barked orders, demanding people move aside to make way. Rodney followed with a few scathing remarks of his own to help things along. Elizabeth remained silent as she watched Carson somehow manage to walk and yet hold his stethoscope under the blanket and on John's chest.

------------------------------

_The snow was blinding._

_John staggered forward, pushing through the deep drifts. He didn't have a clue where he was going, only that he had to get there… had to keep moving, if only to stay alive. The burn of fatigue in his calves and thighs starkly contrasted the numbness in his feet. He knew his toes were there, but he couldn't feel them. _

_His left arm blocked the snow from his eyes and he curled his gloved fingers against his neck, looking somehow to return some warmth to them, for they were about as numb as his feet were. _

_He couldn't remember how he got here, what had happened, or where he was, but to the intense instinct to survive that burned in his gut, none of that mattered. All that did matter was moving, fighting… surviving. _

_His exhausted legs buckled and he fell to his knees. He barely managed to catch himself as his arms sunk through the snow and ended buried almost to his shoulders. Snow brushed his face, only to melt from his marginally warm breath. On his hands and knees, John dug deep inside, searching… seeking that deep reservoir of strength that would push him back to his feet and keep him going, but it was elusive. Warmth spread through him. He knew it was false… deadly, but his resistance buckled as easily as his arms and legs did. Somewhere deep inside the fighter within him still searched, still looked for that wellspring of strength, even as the snow buried him and blackness took him. _

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Carson had a lot of practice with professional detachment. It was damn near a necessity when you dealt with the human condition, tragedy and death. But sometimes, it was a lot harder to practice that detachment… and this was one of those times. Mere feet from the infirmary, one of the strongest men he'd ever met had succumbed to the ravages on his body and arrested, sending a spike of cold fear through Carson's wall of professionalism as easily as a hot knife through butter.

The orders that tumbled from his mouth… IV meds, defibrillators, ventilation and cardiac leads, they all were automatic, but inside he struggled to stay focused. The man lying before him, dying, was a friend… and a good one at that. Sheppard had saved Carson's life more than once… and Carson was determined to return the favor.

He grabbed the defibrillator paddles from one of his nurses just as his lead medic, Carolyn, ripped aside the last of Sheppard's shirt. "Clear!" he barked as he positioned the paddles and fired them.

From the corner of his eye, he saw Sheppard's body arch off the bed before again falling limp, but his gaze was focused on the cardiac monitor and the signal that continued its erratic journey across the screen. "Still in v-fib. CPR! Charge again!" He held the paddles, waiting as Carolyn continued chest compressions, until the defibrillator beeped insistently at him. "Clear!" Again, he shocked Sheppard and again, the signal wavered, refusing to convert. "Damn it, Colonel! Buck up!" He smacked the paddles down on Sheppard's chest again. "Charge!" he ordered. Once again the defibrillator reached full charge and once again, he shocked Sheppard, his hands staying in place as Sheppard's body convulsed from the electrical shock.

------------------------------------

"_What the hell are you doing?" _

_Somehow, John managed to lift his head out of the snow and his gaze fixed on the source of the voice that had so rudely pulled him back from the warm darkness. "Wha…" he managed through numb lips. He pushed himself up on one, shaky elbow._

"_I said, what the hell are you doing?" Standing before John, Rodney McKay crossed his arms and stared sourly at him. "After all that's happened, you're just going to give up?"_

"…'_m tryin…" John managed. Both hands flat on the ground, he pushed himself up out of the snow, only to fall back down when his arms collapsed under him._

"_You're going to have to do better than that, Colonel." Rodney replied, without sympathy. "Get the hell up!" he shouted. "Now!"_

_From somewhere deep inside, anger sparked, and sent a hot flush through him. Damn that McKay! Standing there berating instead of helping! I've got half a mind to punch him in the nose for this! With a growl, John forced himself to his knees. He sat back on his heels for a moment and glared at Rodney._

"_That's right!" Rodney shouted. "Get mad! That'll keep you alive and you're too pig headed to give up now! You know it and I know it so GET UP!"_

"_God damn it, stop yelling at me!" John lurched to his feet but when he turned towards Rodney, he saw nothing but empty snow. Slowly a smile formed around his chattering teeth. A determined mask fell over his face as he continued his trek._

--------------------------------

Carson drew in a deep breath and nodded as the erratic signal turned regular and the blaring alarm from the cardiac monitor was replaced with a reassuring regular beep. "Sinus rhythm." He pulled the paddles away and paused a moment to take a couple breaths. "Continue warming measures, and let's get him on an anti-arrhythmia regimen." Carson set the paddles aside and rested his hand on Sheppard's cold chest, reassuring himself with the rise and fall under his fingers. "Damn it, son," he muttered, "ye put ten years on my life." He looked up, meeting gazes with Carolyn for one moment. She spared him the briefest of smiles before she injected medication into Sheppard's IV. Mindful of the cardiac leads, Carson pulled the blanket back up to Sheppard's chin.

He turned to the colonel's leg and pulled the blanket back. Leaving the splinted break alone, Carson grabbed a set of scissors and carefully cut away Sheppard's tattered pant leg, revealing a ragged gash from the attacking Malnek's bite. He shook his head and turned to Lansing. "Get this cleaned and bandaged. I'll address suturing it after we take a look at that break." He turned to a nurse. "Get radiology in here. I want a full set on that leg and his chest and let's do a skull series to be on the safe side."

"Carson."

Carson turned and nodded once at Dr. Kearson as he swiftly walked up.

Kearson's gaze narrowed for a moment as he stared down at his patient. "Colonel Sheppard?" He looked at Carson. "What in God's name happened to him?"

"Long story," Carson responded. "He was caught in an avalanche and suffered what looks like a fractured tibia in the process. I don't know any details, I haven't been able to further diagnose it. Right now, my main concern is arrhythmia from hypothermia. We just pulled him back from an arrest so he's not stable enough to go poking around too much with that fracture. Not until he warms up some. But, we'll get some pictures and see where we are."

------------------------------------------

"_Knew you could do it." _

_  
McKay's voice was smug… knowing but all John could focus on was the warm sun that replaced the cold snow. John sank to his knees, his head falling back as the sun bathed him. "Yeah," he managed._

"_Now there's a highly intelligent answer I'd expect from you." Rodney responded. "I hate to say I told you so, but…"_

_John looked at him. "Just say it."_

"_I told you so."_

---------------------------------------------

Carson's gaze was fixed on Sheppard, as the Colonel's head moved slightly. He walked back up to the bed and looked down. "Colonel? Can you hear me, son?"

Sheppard's eyelids fluttered before opening. It took a moment, before his eyes locked onto Carson's.

Carson smiled slightly. "Rest easy, John. You're going to be all right."

"Car…son…" Sheppard whispered. His body trembled slightly as shivers started coursing through him. "C…cold…"

Carson gently tucked the blanket in tighter around him. "I know, son, but it's a good sign. You're starting to warm up. Just take it easy. Once you're a wee bit warmer, we'll take care of that leg, okay?"

"M…kay… Mal-neks…" he shifted weakly in the bed. "R-onon…"

Carson put a gentle but firm hand on Sheppard's shoulder. "They're okay. Ronon took a few bites and will be laid up for a while but he'll be fine. Teyla and Rodney are fine as well. Relax and concentrate on yourself, lad."

"…kay…" Sheppard's eyes slid shut.

Carson gave his shoulder a light squeeze. "Okay," he muttered back.

"Dr. Beckett?" one of his nurses pulled the digital thermometer from Sheppard's ear. "He's back up to ninety point two."

Carson nodded. "That explains the shivering."

"I'll want him to at least ninety-six before we address that leg," Kearson added.

"Aye," Carson agreed. He returned his gaze to the nurse. "I want vitals every ten minutes until he hits ninety-six." He stepped away from the bed as two technicians wheeled a portable x-ray machine up to Sheppard's bed.

---------------------------

There were times, Elizabeth was sure, when time went slower. How could it have only been thirty minutes since they'd brought John to the infirmary? She looked away from her watch. It seemed like it'd been thirty hours. She walked slowly to a pillar and leaned back on it, letting her head rest on the cool surface as she wondered how they'd got to this point. All John's team had done was gone off world to get some intelligence. Routine on most days, but apparently, today was the exception.

She lifted her head as Teyla and Rodney both walked towards her. "You two okay?" She asked quietly.

Teyla nodded. "We have been cleared medically, with orders to rest for a few days."

Elizabeth smiled and nodded before she looked at Rodney.

"Sore," he replied. "But the x-rays were clean. Something I could've told them without subjecting my body to radiation, but did they listen? No."

"I think Dr. Biro just wanted to be sure, Rodney," Elizabeth placated. "You were attacked by a Malnek."

"Hmm. Don't remind me." Rodney muttered.

"Any word on John?" Teyla asked.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No. Not since they told us they'd managed to bring him out of arrest." She looked away from Teyla, her chest still tight at the thought of how close they'd come to losing him.

"He is strong, Elizabeth," Teyla said quietly. "He will be fine."

"He's too stubborn not to be," Rodney added.

"Yes," Elizabeth agreed, "he's…" her voice trailed off as movement behind Teyla and Rodney captured her attention. Elizabeth's gaze narrowed. "I don't think you're supposed to be out of bed."

From behind Teyla and Rodney, Ronon stopped and stared evenly back at her. He still wore scrubs and his feet were bare as if he'd just gotten out of bed, which was probably accurate. Next to him, he pushed a portable IV stand, the tubing from the bag snaking down and disappearing under his taped arm.

"Oh for…" Rodney turned around. "The last thing we need is you collapsing in the middle of the infirmary."

"I won't." Ronon answered blandly. "Heard you guys were back. No one could tell me anything, so I thought I'd find out myself." He looked back at Weir. "How is he?"

"Alive," Elizabeth answered. "Beyond that, we don't know."

"And we're fine too, thanks for asking," Rodney snapped.

"Could tell that, McKay," Ronon's voice was unfazed.

"Ronon," Teyla walked up to him before squeezing his arm. "It is good to see you. We did not know…" her voice trailed off.

"Yeah," Ronon smiled down at her. "It was close."

In spite of the situation, Elizabeth smiled slightly at the relieved look on Teyla's face. Even Rodney looked relieved, although she suspected he'd deny it if confronted and suddenly it made sense. They'd had no idea if Ronon had survived. Elizabeth sighed quietly as her respect for the team's strength; a strength to go on in spite of all odds, only deepened.

Her attention was grabbed by the doors to intensive care opening. Slowly, Carson walked up to them. He fixed Ronon with a no-nonsense stare. "And what do ye think you're doing?" Un-cowed, he glared up at the big man.

"Wanted to know how Sheppard was," Ronon answered. "No one would tell me."

Carson sighed. "All right, but after we're done here, back to bed with you!"

Ronon cocked an eyebrow but said nothing.

"And just how is he?" Rodney demanded.

Carson nodded. "Better. He's starting to warm up and that alone is stabilizing him. He gave us a scare with that arrest, but I think we're coming out of the woods with the hypothermia now. Last check his body temperature was up to ninety-four."

"How cold was he, Carson?" Elizabeth asked.

"Eighty-eight," Carson answered quietly. "Damned cold. It's amazing he was conscious at all, much less coherent." Carson took a deep breath. "Couple more degrees and Kearson's going to deal with that leg. He's got a spiral break mid shaft on the tibia, but there shouldn't be any healing complications once it's set." Carson ran a hand through his hair. "We'll anesthetize the Colonel to set it. He's got a pretty deep laceration above the knee where the Malnek got a hold of him but with some well placed stitches, it should heal fine. Couple of broken ribs will make him sore for a while but those should heal fine as well."

Elizabeth nodded as she absorbed all Carson had told her. "So, he's going to be okay?"

Carson smiled. "Aye, I think he will. Give him some time to heal, and he'll be back to his old self." Carson looked over his shoulder for a moment. "He's been in and out of consciousness the last twenty minutes or so. I can let ye see him, if you'd like, but only for a couple minutes."

Elizabeth nodded and smiled. "Yes." She didn't need to look at the other three to know their reaction was the same.

Carson eyed Ronon for a moment before nodding. "Only a couple minutes for you, mister, then back to your bed you go."

Ronon's expression was amused and he nodded once. "Deal."

Carson turned and swiped his hand over the door crystal before leading them into the ICU wing.

------------------------

"Colonel."

Through the buzzing in his ears, John was able to make out one word. He furrowed his brows before lifting them high as he tried to pull his eyes open.

"That's it, lad. Can't have you unconscious, you have visitors."

John groaned and tried again, this time succeeding. He squinted against the bright infirmary lights before his eyes adjusted and fixed on a face peering down at him. He tried to smile, but knew he came up short. "…lizbth…" His eyes cleared and he saw her smile widen.

"John," Elizabeth said quietly. "You've looked better, you know."

John's mind continued to clear and he managed a weak chuckle. "Felt better… too." He felt something poke his ear, before beeping quietly. Another voice, this one strange cut in.

"Doctor, his temp is ninety-six."

John turned his head slightly and met gazes with Carson who also smiled. "Aye, that's much better, Colonel. You're more lucid as well I see."

John swallowed hard. "Carson." That was all he could manage, but it seemed to suit Carson just fine. John's brows furrowed as memories came back to him. _Leg…_ "Doesn't hurt," he muttered.

Carson's brows quirked. "Gave you something for that."

This time, John did manage a small half smile. "Happy… drugs."

Carson's dimpled smile deepened. "Aye."

It was then that John's awareness awakened enough that ne noticed three more people at the foot of his bed. He refocused his gaze and his smile widened slightly as he stared at Ronon's satisfied expression. "Ronon." Relief swept through him. He'd known something was wrong, even if Rodney had denied it. To see his Satedan team mate standing near him, was a relief he couldn't deny. His gaze fixed on the IV stand and the bandages sticking out from under the short sleeve of his scrubs. "You okay… buddy?"

Ronon's smile widened. "Better than you."

John chuckled weakly and winced as his ribs protested, in spite of the cocktail of pain meds Carson had given him. He shifted his attention to Rodney. "McKay," he said quietly.

"Glad you're awake," Rodney responded shortly, then smiled.

John stared at him for a moment, memories of Rodney's staunch defense of his life coming back to John. In spite of the blustering, Rodney was one tough cookie if he had to be. "You did good… Rodney," John offered.

Rodney stared back at him, his expression challenging. "Yes, well, someone had to save your ass."

"I believe it was I that saved yours, Rodney," Teyla smoothly interjected.

John looked at her as she walked up next to Elizabeth.

"Teyla…." John started only to be interrupted by Teyla.

"There is no need for words, John," she said and squeezed his arm.

"As much as I hate to interrupt," Carson broke in, "Ronon you have an appointment with your bed, and the Colonel has one with surgery, so all of you need to leave."

As his team filed out of his view, John's attention returned to Carson who smiled reassuringly at him.

"Easy peasy, Colonel," Carson reassured. "We'll have you in and out before you know it."

"Thanks, Doc," John muttered. He watched as Carson injected something into his IV before a warm rush flowed through him and consciousness fled.

--------------------------------

_Epilogue:_

"Colonel, you'll use both crutches, or you'll stay abed!"

John sat on the edge of his bed and stared up at Carson. "Doc, I only need one…"

"Both!" Carson interrupted.

John's frown deepened. He considered arguing the point further, but when it came to the welfare of his patients, Carson could be a tyrant… even to the patients themselves. John sighed. "Fine."

Abruptly, Carson's expression turned good natured. "Good," he said with a chipper voice. "Nice and easy now, you're going to be weak, Colonel."

"Right," John answered dismissively. He'd been in that bed for days. Inactivity was making him crazy and he was damn near ready to leap out of it, just to move. He braced his hands on the crutches and quickly pushed himself up, only to have his good leg buckle and send him unceremoniously back down on his bed. He sat there for a moment, before looking up into Carson's smug gaze.

"Let that be a lesson to you," Carson pointed at him. "I swear Colonel, I've never had a more stubborn, pain in the ass patient, then you."

John sighed heavily before once again rising, this time more carefully. He felt Carson's hand on his arm as he stood for a second, letting his body get used to standing again.

"Much better," Carson encouraged. "Just a short walk today, Colonel, and then back to bed."

"How long are you going to treat me like an invalid?" John groused quietly.

"As long as necessary," Carson smoothly replied, "and no amount of grumping from you is going to change that."

John shifted the crutches under his arms and braced his palms on the hand holds. "You're a tyrant, Carson. The lovable doctor face is just a façade."

"Aye," Carson agreed as he walked slowly beside John who crutched his way across the infirmary. "Ye know my secret now."

John let the conversation drop as the doors opened and Ronon walked in. Released only a couple days before, John had heard the argument Carson had with the big guy about routine checkups. Only the threat of keeping Ronon in bed in the infirmary for another week, had made Ronon promise to check in daily until Carson was satisfied he was healed.

"Ah Ronon," Carson hailed the Satedan, "just in time to see the Colonel's maiden voyage."

"Cute," John muttered as he crutched towards his friend. "I've been on crutches before."

"Aye," Carson agreed, "and with your track record, you'll probably be on them again."

John grunted and shot a cold look at Carson, before meeting gazes with his teammate. "Lookin' good."

Ronon cocked his head slightly. "Still better than you," he teased.

John chuckled, before his smile faded and gratitude replaced mirth. He stared at Ronon for a second, looking for the right words, before the big man shook his head.

"Don't," Ronon insisted. "Don't need the words. Already told you that twice."

One side of John's mouth turned up in a small smile before he looked down for a moment and then nodded. Abruptly, he could feel the strength leave his body and he had to close his eyes against a wave of dizziness. He felt Carson's hand wrap around one arm, as Ronon grabbed the other.

"Aye, that's the cue to get you back to bed, Colonel." Carson pulled gently but insistently.

John blinked hard and looked at Carson as he slowly crutched his way back to the bed. "How'd you know?" he muttered weakly.

"You're about five shades paler, son," Carson answered. "You're as white as a sheet."

"Oh," John whispered. With Ronon and Carson's help, he slowly sat back down on his bed and surrendered his crutches. He'd never admit it, but the bed felt good. As he laid back, Carson pulled the blanket and sheets over him.

"You're lucky to be alive, Colonel. Accept that it's going to take a while for you to heal."

John nodded, his head sliding up and down against the pillow as he relaxed into his bed. He closed his eyes and listened as Carson led Ronon away, muttering something about a cast to make sure Ronon didn't tear his stitches.

John took a deep breath, ignoring the twinge from his healing ribs. The air filling his lungs felt good. He felt alive, and with the events of the last week, he was grateful for it. He was on the path to healing, and heal he would. There was too much left to do, too many worlds to explore, too many enemies running around for him not to get better.

It'd take time, but John accepted it. Time was one luxury he had, and he intended on taking full advantage of it.

Content, he let the healing power of sleep take him.

~End~


End file.
